title: Intratumoural FOXP3-positive regulatory T cells are associated with adverse prognosis in radically resected gastric cancer.
abstract: We investigated the clinical significance of tumour-infiltrating FOXP3-positive regulatory T cells (Tregs) in radically resected (R0) gastric cancer. From a single-institution database, tumors of 110 patients who underwent R0 resection for stage II-III disease were studied for FOXP3-positive Tregs by immunohistochemistry. The observed median number of FOXP3-positive Tregs was used as the cut-point in analyses (<6 versus >or=6 count). Tregs were significantly higher in gastric carcinomas than in normal tissue (P = 0.0001). Tregs count >or=6 was significantly associated with vascular/lymphatic/perineural invasion (VELIPI) in the tumour (P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis showed association between adverse relapse-free survival and grading 3, stage III, VELIPI and Tregs count >or=6 (P = 0.02). Adverse overall survival was associated with grading 3, stage III, VELIPI and Tregs count >or=6 (P = 0.006). FOXP3-positive Tregs may be a novel marker for identifying high-risk gastric cancer patients. Present findings deserve additional investigation as Tregs may also represent an innovative therapeutic target.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, University Campus Biomedico, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.forename: Pier Adelchi
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ruffini
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: Cathie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spino
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muretto
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spoto
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zingaretti
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sisti
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alessandroni
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giordani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cicetti
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: D'Emidio
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morini
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruzzo
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magnani
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tonini
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rabitti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Graziano
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors