title: Circulating T-regulatory cells in neuroblastoma: a pilot prospective study.
abstract: The objective of our study was to determine baseline Tregs in neuroblastoma patients and correlate with patient characteristics, their change with therapy and at relapse/progression. Flow-cytometric analysis for Treg cells [CD4+CD25+FoxP3+] was done in 14 de novo neuroblastoma patients at diagnosis, post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy and at relapse/progression, along with six healthy controls. Patients had significantly higher baseline Treg frequency than controls [Mean 9.84 ± 3.84 vs 3.16 ± 1.49, P < .001]; higher mean Treg frequency in patients with tumors >10 cm (P = .004) and there was significant reduction in Treg frequency with neoadjuvant chemotherapy when compared with the baseline value [Mean 3.07 ± 1.24 vs 9.72 ± 3.84, P = .007].
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology.
authors.forename: Tvsvgk
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tilak
authors.forename: Surender
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sherawat
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agarwala
authors.forename: Ritu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Sreenivas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vishnubhatla
authors.forename: Sameer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakhshi
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: T-regulatory; chemotherapy; neuroblastoma