CD3+ CD4+ and CD3+ CD8+ lymphocyte subgroups and their surface receptors NKG2D and NKG2A in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
To explore the prevalence of lymphocyte subgroups CD3+ CD4+ and CD3+ CD8+ and their surface receptors NKG2D and NKG2A in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
A total of 40 patients with NSCLC were divided into different groups according to different clinical factors (TNM staging, pathological patterns and genders) for assessment of relations with CD3+ CD4+ and CD3+ CD8+ and the surface receptors NKG2D and NKG2A of T lymphocytes in peripheral blood by flow cytometry.


RESULTS
Patients in the advanced group had evidently lower levels of CD3+ CD4+ but markedly higher levels of CD3+ CD8+ in peripheral blood than those with early lesions (p<0.05). In addition, NSCLC patients in the advanced group had obviously higher CD3+ CD4+ NKG2D and CD3+ CD8+ NKG2A expression rates but lower CD3+ CD4+ NKG2A and CD3+ CD8+ NKG2D expression rates (p<0.05). However, there were no significant differences between NSCLC patients with different genders and pathological patterns in expression levels of lymphocyte subgroups CD3+ CD4+ and CD3+ CD8+ and their surface receptors NKG2D and NKG2A.


CONCLUSIONS
Unbalanced expression of surface receptors NKG2D and NKG2A in CD3+ CD4+ and CD3+ CD8+ lymphocytes may be associated with a poor prognosis, greater malignancy and immunological evasion by advanced cancers, related to progression of lung cancer.
Second Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China E-mail : lzdzrd0101010@163.com.
Da-Ping
DP
Yu
Yi
Y
Han
Qiu-Yue
QY
Zhao
Zhi-Dong
ZD
Liu
D000368:Aged; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C / Q000378:metabolism*; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K / Q000378:metabolism*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis
D017252:CD3 Complex; C527054:KLRC1 protein, human; C527085:KLRK1 protein, human; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K