title: Study of regulatory T-cells in patients with gastric malt lymphoma: influence on treatment response and outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) play an essential role in modulating host responses to tumors and infections. The role of these cells in the pathogenesis of MALT lymphomas remains unknown. The aims of the study were to quantify the number of infiltrating FOXP3+ and CD3+ cells in patients with gastric MALT lymphoma at diagnosis and to study kinetics of these cells and CD20+ tumor cells after treatment and during long-term follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  FOXP3+, CD3+ and CD20+ cells were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and the number of cells was quantified using a micrometric ocular. Samples of 35 patients with gastric MALT lymphoma at diagnosis and after treatment were included. Diagnostic samples were compared to 19 cases of chronic gastritis and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the stomach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median number of FOXP3+ infiltrating cells was higher (27 cells/cm(2)) in gastric MALT patients than in DLBCL (10 cells; p = 0.162) but similar to chronic gastritis (20 cells; p = 0.605). No characteristic or specific distribution pattern of infiltrating FOXP3+ cells was found. Gastric MALT lymphoma patients responding to bacterial eradication therapy had higher number of FOXP3+ cells at study entry. Kinetics of both infiltrating FOXP3+ cells and tumor CD20+ cells were strongly dependent on the treatment administered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gastric MALT lymphomas have a number of Treg cells more similar to chronic gastritis than to DLBCL. Patients with higher number of tumor infiltrating FOXP3+ cells at study entry seem to have better response to antibiotics. Kinetics of Treg and tumor cells are influenced by type of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. 94972@parcdesalutmar.cat
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bellosillo
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sánchez-González
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García-Payarols
authors.forename: Agustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seoane
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gimeno
authors.forename: Luis Eugenio
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Barranco
authors.forename: Ariadna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torner
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Solé
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Besses
authors.forename: Sergi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D005756:Gastritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors