Relation between clinicopathological factors and the proportion of regulatory T lymphocytes in patients with cervical cancers / 대한산부인과학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine which clinicopathological factors have the significance in proportion of regulatory T lymphocytes in patients with cervical cancers. METHODS: Blood samples were collected preoperatively from 17 patients with uterine cervical cancers (stage IB, IIA) diagnosed at Asan medical center from May 2006 to October 2006. Patients were limited to who never been treated after diagnosis. We analyzed phenotypes of lymphocytes through flow cytometry by using anti CD3 antibodies, anti CD4 antibodies, anti CD25 antibodies and anti Transcription Factor Foekhead Box P3 (FoxP3) antibodies. Following analysis by flow cytometry, it was determined the relation between the proportion of regulatory T lymphocytes and clinicopathological factors of patients, including age, height, weight, BMI, maximum tumor diameter, lymphovascular tumor emboli, parametrial invasion, and lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: Among many clinicopathological factors in patients with cervical cancer, only maximum tumor diameter was significantly correlated with the proportion of CD4+CD25+(high)FoxP3+ regulatory T lymphocytes (p=0.012, Spearman's rho Correlation Coefficient=0.593). CONCLUSION: This is the first report to document the relation between uterine cervical cancer and the proportion of regulatory T lymphocytes in peripheral blood. In terms of positive correlation between the primary tumor size and the proportion of regulatory T lymphocytes in peripheral blood, we suggest that the spread mechanism of uterine cervical caner, especially direct invasion, will be related with the anti-tumor immune tolerance state. Further studies are necessary to explain the specific spread mechanisms and systemic antitumor immunity in cervical cancer.