Evidence for the changes of antitumor immune response during lymph node metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to elucidate the differences in antitumor immune responses between primary tumors and metastatic regional lymph nodes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).


METHODS
The clonality of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in tissue specimens from 17 HNSCC patients was examined regarding their T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoires and their complementary determining region 3 (CDR3) size spectratyping. Cytokine expression profiles and T-cell phenotypes also were measured by using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
The host immune responses to HNSCC cells, reflected by the TCR repertoire, differed between primary tumors and metastatic lymph nodes. CD8+-T cells and T helper type 1 (TH1)/T cytotoxic 1 (TC1) cell cytokine production in metastatic and nonmetastatic lymph nodes were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
The antitumor immune response to HNSCC cells changes during lymph node metastasis, and HNSCC cells can escape the cytotoxic immune responses mediated by CD8+-T cells and TH1/TC1 cells. These results suggest that lymph node metastasis might be associated with changes in the nature of the primary tumor antigens.
Kumagai
Kenichi
K
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Yokohama Rosai Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Hamada
Yoshiki
Y
Gotoh
Akito
A
Kobayashi
Hiroshi
H
Kawaguchi
Koji
K
Horie
Akihisa
A
Yamada
Hiroyuki
H
Suzuki
Satsuki
S
Suzuki
Ryuji
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000276:immunology*; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell