title: Comparative study of various subpopulations of cytotoxic cells in blood and ascites from patients with ovarian carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A number of observations have indicated that the immune system plays a significant role in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In cases of EOC, the prognostic significance of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes has not been clearly explained yet. The aim is to determine the phenotype and activation molecules of cytotoxic T cell and NK cell subpopulations and to compare their representation in malignant ascites and peripheral blood in patients with ovarian cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cytotoxic cells taken from blood samples of the cubital vein and malignant ascites were obtained from 53 patients with EOC. Their surface and activation characteristics were determined by means of a flow cytometer. Immunophenotype multiparametric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CD3(+) T lymphocytes were the main population of TILs (75.9%) and PBLs (70.9%). The number of activating T cells was significantly higher in TILs: CD3(+)/69(+) 6.7% vs. 0.8% (p < 0.001). The representation of (CD3(-)/16(+)56(+)) NK cells in TILs was significantly higher: 11.0% vs. 5.6% (p = 0.041); likewise CD56(bright) and CD-56(bright) from CD56(+) cells were higher in TILs (both p < 0.001). The activation receptor NKG2D was present in 45.1% of TILs vs. 32.3% of PBLs (p = 0.034), but we did not find a significant difference in the numbers of CD56(+)/NKG2D(+) in TILs and PBLs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results prove that the characteristics and intensity of anti-tumour responses are different in compared compartments (ascites/PBLs). The knowledge of phenotype and functions of effector cells is the basic precondition for understanding the anti-tumour immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, District Hospital Nachod, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Sarka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lukesova
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vladimira
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vroblova
authors.affiliation: Department of Obsterics, University Hospital in Hradec Kralove; Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jindrich
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tosner
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital in Hradec Kralove; Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jindrich
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopecky
authors.affiliation: Department of Obsterics, University Hospital in Hradec Kralove; Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sedlakova
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biophysics, Computer Technology Center; Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Čermáková
authors.affiliation: Department of Obsterics, University Hospital in Hradec Kralove; Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vokurkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, District Hospital Nachod, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic ; Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Otakar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kopecky
keywords: NK cells; NKG2D; flow cytometry; ovarian cancer; tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes