title: Prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating CD8⁺ or CD3⁺ T lymphocytes and interleukin-2 expression in radically resected non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Altered immunoresponse is associated with tumorigenesis and cancer progression. This study assessed the levels of tumor-infiltrating CD3 + or CD8 + T lymphocytes and interleukin-2 (IL-2) protein in radically resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues to predict overall survival (OS) of the patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 129 NSCLC patients were retrospectively collected for immunostaining of CD8 + , CD3 + , and IL-2 expression. Clinicopathological and survival data were collected and analyzed using the Chi-squared test, Kaplan-Meier curves, and the log-rank test or the Cox regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data showed a significant inverse association between CD8 + T lymphocyte levels and IL-2 expression (r = -0.927; P = 0.000) and between the levels of CD8 + and CD3 + T lymphocytes (r = -0.722; P = 0.000), but a positive association between CD3 + T lymphocyte levels and IL-2 expression (r = 0.781; P = 0.000) in NSCLC tissues. Furthermore, the levels of CD3 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes and IL-2 expression were associated with tumor stage (P = 0.023, 0.006, and 0.031, respectively) and the level of CD8 + T lymphocytes was associated with the patient gender (P = 0.024). In addition, the levels of CD8 + T lymphocytes were associated with an unfavorable 5-year OS, whereas patients with high levels of CD3 + T lymphocytes in tumor lesions and IL-2-expressing tumors had significantly better 5-year OS rates than patients with low levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The levels of CD8 + T cells in tumor lesions and IL-2 expression were both independent predictors of OS for these NSCLC patients. Thus, the detection of tumor-infiltrating CD3 + or CD8 + T lymphocytes and IL-2 expression could be useful to predict the prognosis of radically resected NSCLC patients.
authors.forename: Chuntao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Shixin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Qingxia
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Weijie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shunchang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
authors.forename: Liuxing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D007376:Interleukin-2