Detection of T lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) and other lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 64 patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma (case group) and analyzed by flow cytometry. The ratios of CD4+CD25+Treg T cells and other T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood were compared with those from 33 healthy controls (control group).

Results: The percentages of CD3+ and CD3+CD4+ were (66.5±11.0)% and (37.7±10.6)% respectively in the peripheral blood of the case group, which were significantly lower than those [(72.0±6.0)% and (42.0±6.4)%] in the control group (t=-3.2,-2.4; P=0.020, 0.015, respectively). The ratio of CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells in case group (10.5±4.0)% was significantly higher than that [(8.4±3.5)%] in the control group (t=-2.2, P=0.013). CD4+/CD8+ value of case group (1.4±0.8) was significantly lower than that (1.8±0.7) in control group(t=-2.2, P=0.029). CD3+CD8+, CD8+CD28-, and CD8+CD28+ showed no significant differences (all P>0.05). Smoking, differentiation grade, and size of the tumor showed no association with the function damage of T lymphocyte subsets, while the carcino-embryonic antigen level did.

Conclusions: In patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma, Treg increases and CD4+/CD8+ decreases, suggesting remarkably suppressed immune functions. However, more research is warranted to validate the association of T cells subset dysfunction with smoking, differentiation grade, and size of tumor.