title: Alteration of CD4 T cell subsets in metastatic lymph nodes of human gastric cancer.
abstract: Studies of tumor-infiltrating immune cells have revealed that immune escape plays an important role in tumor growth. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of metastasis affecting CD4+ T cell subsets in human clinical samples. Single-cell suspensions derived from tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN) and primary cancer specimens were assessed by flow cytometry, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. In the CD4+ T cell subsets detected in TDLN, effector T cells (TE) in metastatic TDLN (mTDLN) was significantly lower than that in metastatic-free TDLN (mfTDLN). TE in mfTDLN were increased compared with normal controls. Similarly, effector memory T cells (TEM) in mTDLN was significantly lower than in control and mfTDLN. There was a significantly positive correlation between the proportion of TEM in TDLN and number of tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Th1 to Th2 ratio was lower in mTDLN, and Treg in mTDLN was significantly higher than in mfTDLN. CD4+ T cell and TE subsets in TDLN were significantly affected by metastasis. Immunosuppressive cells exhibit increased migration to TDLN, in which a subset of CD4+ TE is skewed towards immune tolerance in the tumor microenvironment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohira
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Mao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Go
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsunobu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toyokawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muguruma
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment