title: Increased frequency of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in mice with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: The CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell (Treg) is a special kind of T cell subset. Studies have showed that Treg cells are involved in a number of physiological processes and pathologic conditions such as autoimmune diseases, transplantation tolerance and cancer. Tregs with unique capacity for immune inhibition can impair anti-tumour immunity and help tumor cells to escape from immune surveillance. The aim of our study was to investigate whether Tregs are involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A BABL/C mouse with HCC in situ model was established to evaluate the Treg existence in carcinoma tissues and the changes of Tregs in spleen using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry methods. Granzyme B expression in carcinoma tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry to investigate the tumor local immune status. The proportion of CD4+CD25+/CD4+ spleen lymphocytes of tumor bearing mice (18.8% ± 1.26%) was found to be significantly higher than that in normal mice (9.99% ± 1.90%) (P<0.01 ). Immunohistochemistry of spleen tissue also confirmed that there was an increase in Treg in tumor-bearing mice, while in carcinomas it showed Treg cells to be present in tumor infiltrating lymphocyte areas while Granzyme B was rarely observed. Anti-tumour immunity was suppressed, and this might be associated with the increase of Tregs. Our observations suggest that the CD4+CD25+Treg/ CD4+ proportion in spleen lymphocytes can be a sensitive index to evaluate the change of Tregs in hepatocellular carcinoma mice and the Treg may be a promising therapeutic target for cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiao-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Niu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D053804:Granzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; D053804:Granzymes