title: Clinical efficacy of tumor antigen-pulsed DC treatment for high-grade glioma patients: evidence from a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effectiveness of immunotherapy for high-grade glioma (HGG) patients remains controversial. To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of dendritic cells (DCs) alone in the treatment of HGG, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis in terms of patient survival with relevant published clinical studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 409 patients, including historical cohorts, nonrandomized and randomized controls with HGG, were selected for the meta-analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatment of HGG with DCs was associated with a significantly improved one-year survival (OS) (p<0.001) and 1.5-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year OS (p<0.001) compared with the non-DC group. A meta-analysis of the patient outcome data revealed that DC immunotherapy has a significant influence on progression-free survival (PFS) in HGG patients, who showed significantly improved 1-,1.5-, 2-, 3- and 4-year PFS (p<0.001). The analysis of Karnofsky performance status (KPS) demonstrated no favorable results for DC cell therapy arm (p = 0.23).The percentages of CD3+CD8+ and CD3+CD4+ T cells and CD16+ lymphocyte subset were not significantly increased in the DC group compared with the baseline levels observed before treatment (p>0.05), whereas CD56+ lymphocyte subset were significantly increased after DC treatment (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, the levels of IFN-γ in the peripheral blood of HGG patients, which reflect the immune function of the patients, were significantly increased after DC immunotherapy (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, our meta-analysis showed that DC immunotherapy markedly prolongs survival rates and progression-free time, enhances immune function, and improves the efficacy of the treatment of HGG patients.
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, People's Republic of China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Laboratory of Dynamic Immunobiology, School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jun-Xia
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jin-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Duo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jun-Li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi-Shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bei-Lei
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hai-Bo
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zheng-Xu
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D016207:Cytokines