Circulating regulatory T cells (CD4+CD25+FOXP3+) decrease in breast cancer patients after vaccination with a modified MHC class II HER2/neu (AE37) peptide.
Regulatory T cells (T(Reg)), CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+), are implicated in suppressing tumor immune responses. We analyzed peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from breast cancer patients receiving a modified HLA class II HER2/neu peptide (AE37) vaccine for T(Reg) cells and correlated their levels with vaccine-specific immune responses. The mean CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+) T(Reg) cells decreased in patients with vaccination with no significant difference in serum TGF-β levels. IFN-γ ELISPOT and DTH increased after vaccination with a good correlation between T(Reg) cell reduction and size of DTH to AE37. The T(Reg) cell reduction and associated immune response suggest that AE37 may be clinically useful.
Gates
Jeremy D
JD
Department of Surgery, General Surgery Service, Brooke Army Medical Center, Ft. Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA.
Clifton
Guy T
GT
Benavides
Linda C
LC
Sears
Alan K
AK
Carmichael
Mark G
MG
Hueman
Matthew T
MT
Holmes
Jarrod P
JP
Jama
Yusuf H
YH
Mursal
Mohamed
M
Zacharia
Athina
A
Ciano
Kathy
K
Khoo
Steven
S
Stojadinovic
Alexander
A
Ponniah
Sathibalan
S
Peoples
George E
GE
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood
D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C530655:AE37 vaccine