title: Analysis of T-cell clonality pattern in tumor samples of breast cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A large body of experimental evidence has confirmed that different tumors, including breast carcinomas, can stimulate specific T-cell-mediated immune responses. In this study we have analyzed patterns of T-cell clonality in tumor samples of 54 breast cancer patients classified as lymph node negative, N0 (n=16), or lymph node positive, N+ (n=38). The clonality of T-cells was analyzed by the PCR-PAGE method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Monoclonal/oligoclonal (M/O) T-cell populations were found in 15 breast cancer patients, nine N+ and six N0. In all analyzed groups (N+ + N0, N+, N0) the incidence of relapse was not significantly different between patients with M/O and patients with polyclonal T-cells. Comparison of disease-free interval (DFI) between patients divided according to the presence of TCRg monoclonality/oligoclonality showed a marginally significant difference only in the group of N+ patients within the first 24 months of follow-up. Patients with a M/O T-cell population had a shorter DFI than patients with a polyclonal T-cell population. This difference was not observed when the complete follow-up period was considered in the same group of patients. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) between patients with M/O and patients with polyclonal T-cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results imply that tumor infiltrating T-cells are usually polyclonal. The pattern of T-cell clonality does not correlate with the incidence of relapse and the duration of DFI and OS in the analyzed groups of breast cancer patients, excluding N+ patients with M/O T-cells who had a shorter DFI in the first 24 months of follow-up. This observation suggests that polyclonal T-cell populations may provide a broader spectrum of T-cell-mediated antitumor response. (Int J Biol Markers 2005; 20: 177-83).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Research, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade - Serbia & Montenegro.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Cikota
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Brankovic-Magic
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Jovic
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Radulovic
authors.forename: Z M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Magic