title: Comparative analysis of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in tumor tissues, lymph nodes and the peripheral blood from patients with breast cancer.
abstract: CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are the main types of lymphocytes in cell-mediated immunity and play a central role in the induction of efficient immune responses against tumors. The frequencies of T cell subtypes in the peripheral blood and tumor tissues, and draining lymph nodes (dLN) can be considered as useful markers for evaluation of the immune system in cancers.
  
  
  
  In this study, the frequencies of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in blood, tumor tissues, and dLN samples of breast cancer patients were compared with each other and with similar tissues from normal individuals. Immunophenotyping was carried out by flow cytometry and the expression levels of CXCL10, granzyme B, and mammaglobin were evaluated by real-time PCR.
  
  
  
  In the peripheral blood, there were no differences in the T cell subsets between the patients and the normal individuals. The frequency of CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in tumor tissue than normal breast tissues while granzyme B expression was similar. Based on mammaglobin expression levels, dLN have been classified into micro- and macro-metastatic dLN. We found significantly lower frequency of CD4+ in macro-metastatic dLN than micro-metastatic dLN. CD8+ frequency was similar in both dLN; however, granzyme B expression was higher in micro-metastatic ones. There was not any significant difference in CXCL10 expression between the two types of dLN.
  
  
  
  Based on our results, although the tumor does not affect the systemic immunity, tumoral cells affect the local immune system in the tumoral tissues and the metastatic dLN.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Chamran Highway, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Riazi Rad
authors.affiliation: Immunology Dept., Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Ave., Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Soheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ajdary
authors.affiliation: Surgical Oncology Ward, Cancer Institute of Tehran University Of Medical Sciences, Gharib St., Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ramesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Omranipour
authors.affiliation: Immunology Dept., Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Ave., Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Alimohammadian
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Chamran Highway, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahir M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Hassan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D053804:Granzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D060785:Mammaglobin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D060785:Mammaglobin A; D053804:Granzymes
keywords: Breast neoplasms; CD4+ T lymphocyte; CD8+ T lymphocytes; CXCL10; Granzymes