ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the characteristics of local cytokines profile in human gastric cancer lesions and offer guides for immunotherapy of gastric cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cytokines profile in isolated CD4+, CD8+ T subsets and epithelial cells from cancer tissue, contrasted with benign gastric mucosa of 15 gastric cancer patients were analyzed by a highly sensitive radioactivity labeled semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The predominance of increased Th2 and reduced Th1 immune response in both CD4+ and CD8+ T subsets from cancer tissue, compared with benign gastric mucosa, were observed. IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha in CD8+ T cells from cancer tissue showed statistical higher levels than those from benign gastric mucosa (P = 0.029, P = 0.022, P = 0.002), so did IL-10, TGF-beta, TNF-alpha in T cells and epithelial cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A shift of Th1/Th2 cytokines to Th2 is found in T cells from local tumor lesion of gastric cancer, which suggests an immune suppressive status in local tumor lesion. The obvious change of cytokine profile in CD8+ T cell suggests they play a main role in immune suppression. To study the cytokine expression of different cell subsets, we are able to offer guides for immunotherapy for patients with gastric cancer.</p>