Increased percentage of CD8+CD28- suppressor lymphocytes in peripheral blood and skin infiltrates correlates with advanced disease in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.
BACKGROUND
T cells with the CD8+CD28- phenotype are CD8+ lymphocytes with regulatory function. Their increased numbers were observed in infections, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases, and in elderly healthy individuals. CD8+CD28- lymphocyte levels in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) has not yet been described. The aim of the study was to determine their levels in these patients' peripheral blood and cutaneous infiltrates and their relation to the clinical stage of disease.


METHODS
Forty-one untreated patients, 26 males and 15 females, with CTCL were enrolled in the study. CD8+CD28- lymphocyte levels were determined by flow cytometry in peripheral blood and by immunochemistry in skin infiltrates.


RESULTS
The percentage of CD8+CD28- lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of the patients was significantly higher than in the controls. Patients with advanced disease displayed a higher percentage of CD8+CD28- lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and skin than did the individuals with early stages of the disease. Moreover, positive correlations between CD8+CD28- lymphocyte level in peripheral blood and age, clinical stage, and the levels in the skin infiltrates was revealed. Additionally, the percentage of CD8+CD28- T cells in the skin infiltrates correlated positively with age and clinical stage of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that CD8+CD28- lymphocytes play an important role in the development of immunotolerance in the progression of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
Urbaniak-Kujda
Donata
D
Katedra i Klinika Hematologii Nowotworów Krwi i Transplantacji Szpiku Akademii Medycznej we Wrocławiu oraz Wyzsza Szkoła Fizjoterapii we Wrocławiu. durbaniak@post.pl
Kapelko-Słowik
Katarzyna
K
Wołowiec
Dariusz
D
Dybko
Jarosław
J
Hałoń
Agnieszka
A
Jaźwiec
Bozena
B
Maj
Joanna
J
Jankowska-Konsur
Alina
A
Kuliczkowski
Kazimierz
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D018106:CD28 Antigens