title: The Association of Peripheral Blood Regulatory T-Cell Concentrations With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Brief Report.
abstract: There is a mounting body of evidence demonstrating higher percentages of regulatory T (Treg) cells in the peripheral blood of patients with cancer in comparison to healthy controls, but there is a paucity of epidemiological literature characterizing circulating Treg cells among patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). To investigate the role of peripheral Treg cells in ovarian neoplasms, we conducted a case-control study to characterize circulating concentrations of Treg cells among patients with EOC, women with benign ovarian conditions, and healthy controls without a history of cancer.
  
  
  
  Participants were identified for inclusion due to their participation in the Data Bank and BioRepository program at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. Patients included 71 women with a primary diagnosis of EOC and 195 women with a diagnosis of benign ovarian conditions. Controls included 101 age- and race-matched women without a history of cancer. Nonfasting, pretreatment peripheral blood levels of CD3+CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells were measured using flow cytometric analyses and expressed as a percentage of total CD3+ cells and as a percentage of total CD3+CD4+ cells.
  
  
  
  Compared to healthy controls and women with benign ovarian conditions, patients with EOC had significantly higher frequency of Treg cells (P < 0.04). In multivariable logistic regression analyses using Treg frequency expressed as a percentage of CD+3 cells, we observed a significant positive association between Treg cell percentage and EOC risk, with each 1% increase associated with a 37% increased risk of EOC (odds ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.80). We observed a similar trend when Treg frequency was expressed as a percentage of CD3+CD+4 cells (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.99-1.49).
  
  
  
  The current study provides support that peripheral Treg cell frequency is elevated in patients with EOC in comparison to women with benign ovarian conditions and healthy controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Rikki A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cannioto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Lara E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Sucheston-Campbell
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL.
authors.forename: Shalaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hampras
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science Research, Division of Epidemiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
authors.forename: Ellen L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Goode
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science Research, Division of Epidemiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Knutson
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Texas, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ness
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh and Women's Cancer Research Program, Magee-Womens Research Institute and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Francesmary
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Modugno
authors.affiliation: Department of Flow and Image Cytometry, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: J Brian
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Szender
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mayor
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Chi-Chen
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Janine M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Friel
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Center for Personalized Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nesline
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Kevin H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences and Ovarian Cancer Center of Excellence, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kruszka
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Kunle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Odunsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
authors.forename: Kirsten B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Moysich
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*