title: Distribution of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in tumor islets and stroma from patients with non-small cell lung cancer in association with COPD and smoking.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The immune system plays an important role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the infiltration patterns of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in NSCLC and to analyze their relation to COPD, smoking status and other clinicopathologic variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lung tissue specimens from 50 patients who underwent surgery for NSCLC (stages I-III) and 10 control group subjects were analyzed immunohistochemically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NSCLC patients had a greater number of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells infiltrating the lung tissue than the control group (P=0.001) with predominant infiltration in the tumor stroma. We found a significant association between the number of total and tumor stroma-infiltrating CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, and smoking status (P<0.05). There were more CD8(+) T cells in the tumor stroma and fewer in the tumor islets in NSCLC patients with COPD as compared to NSCLC patients without COPD (P<0.05). However, there was no such association between CD4(+) T cells and COPD status. A high level of CD8(+) T cell infiltration in the tumor stroma was independently associated with the coexistence of COPD in multivariate analysis (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our data, COPD but not smoking seems to be associated with higher infiltration of CD8(+) T cells in the tumor stroma of patients with NSCLC. It allows us to hypothesize that NSCLC patients with coexisting COPD may have a more favorable outcome due to anticancer properties of stromal CD8(+) T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology and Immunology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania. Electronic address: jjackute@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jurgita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jackutė
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology and Immunology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Žemaitis
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pranys
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology and Immunology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Brigita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Šitkauskienė
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology and Immunology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Skaidrius
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miliauskas
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Vytis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bajoriūnas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology and Immunology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Raimundas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakalauskas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: CD4(+) T cells; CD8(+) T cells; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Non-small cell lung cancer; Smoking