title: Effector memory T-cell frequencies in relation to tumour stage, location and HPV status in HNSCC patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The immune system plays an important role in tumour immune surveillance. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients are often immune compromised.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To chart the baseline levels of T-cell subpopulation frequencies in patients with cancer prior to treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples of patients were taken at the time of diagnosis, analysed with flowcytometry and compared with blood samples of healthy donors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to healthy donors, a significant shift from naive to effector memory T cells was observed. This effect was most prominent in stage II patients. A similar shift from naive to effector memory T cells was noted in patients with oropharynx or larynx squamous cell carcinomas. Furthermore, the percentage of effector memory and effector T cells was higher in the group of patients with human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas, compared with patients with human papillomavirus-negative tumours, suggestive of virus-induced T-cell activation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here, we provide a simple and easily implementable tool to document T lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of head and neck cancer patients, which might be useful for prognosis and/or therapy response prediction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Turksma
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bontkes
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van den Heuvel
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: de Gruijl
authors.forename: B M E
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: von Blomberg
authors.forename: B J M
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Braakhuis
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Leemans
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bloemena
authors.forename: C J L M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hooijberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000145:classification* / Q000821:virology; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; C516769:PTPRC protein, human