title: [Expression of transcription factor T-bet and GATA-3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and its correlation with immune status in esophageal cancer patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of transcription factors (TF) T-bet and GATA-3 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and its correlation with immune status in esophageal cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients were divided into two groups according to the clinical data: group A consisting of stage I and II, group B including stage III and IV. The gene expression of T-bet and GATA-3 in 60 esophageal cancer patients and 30 healthy controls was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of IFN-gamma and IL-4 was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of T-bet mRNA in esophageal cancer patients (stage I and II: 0.27 +/- 0.05 ng/L, stage III and IV: 0.12 +/- 0.02 ng/L) was significantly lower than that in the healthy controls (1.35 +/- 0.14 ng/L), but the expression of GATA-3 mRNA in esophageal cancer patients (stage I and II: 0.45 +/- 0.06, stage III and IV: 0.55 +/- 0.03) was significantly higher than that in the healthy controls (0.09 +/- 0.10). The plasma level of Th1 cytokine IFN-gamma in the patients [stage I and II: (12.12 +/- 1.48) ng/L, stage III and IV: (8.44 +/- 0.90) ng/L] was significantly lower than that in the healthy controls, while the level of Th2 cytokine IL-4 in the patients [stage I and II: (18.64 +/- 0.77) ng/L, stage III and IV: (25.28 +/- 2.02) ng/L] was significantly higher than that in the healthy controls. However, neither in the expression of T-bet and GATA-3, nor in the plasma level of IFN-gamma and IL-4, showed a significant difference between group A and B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the peripheral blood of esophageal cancer patients, the expression of T-bet decreased, while GATA-3 increased, Th1/Th2 balance is broken, and the Th2 is dominant. T-bet and GATA-3 play a part role in the regulation of Th1/Th2 balance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212001, China.
authors.forename: De-yu
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ya-wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hua
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D000098815:T-bet Transcription Factor
chemical_list: D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; C494749:GATA3 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; D000098815:T-bet Transcription Factor; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma