This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kuss, I. Articles by Whiteside, T. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kuss, I. Articles by Whiteside, T. L.

Decreased Absolute Counts of T Lymphocyte Subsets and Their Relation to Disease in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

¹ University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Departments of ² Pathology and ³ Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Purpose: Apoptosis of circulating CD8+ T cells seen in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck [SCCHN (Hoffmann T, et al. Clin Cancer Res 2002;8:2553–62)] suggested a possibility of lymphocyte imbalance. Therefore, absolute numbers and percentages of lymphocyte subsets were examined in the peripheral blood of SCCHN patients and controls.

Experimental Design: Venous blood was obtained from 146 patients with SCCHN and 54 normal volunteers. Absolute numbers of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T lymphocytes were determined using fluorobeads in a flow cytometry-based technique. Percentages of T lymphocyte subsets were also evaluated by flow cytometry. The patients were grouped at the time of blood draw [active versus no evidence of disease (NED), type of therapy administered, and the length of follow-up].

Results: Patients with SCCHN had significantly lower absolute numbers of CD3+ CD4+, and CD8+ T cells than normal controls. However, no differences in the percentages of T-cell subsets between patients and normal controls were observed. Patients with active disease had significantly lower CD3+ and CD4+ T-cell counts than those with NED. Patients who had NED after surgery and radiotherapy had the lowest T-cell counts among the NED cohort. Patients who had NED for >2 years did not recover their T-cell counts, and the T-cell imbalance was evident many years after curative surgery. The tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage or site of the disease was not related to the absolute T-cell count. Patients with recurrent disease at the time of blood draw tended to have the lowest CD4+ T-cell counts.

Conclusions: Patients with SCCHN have altered lymphocyte homeostasis, which persists for months or years after curative therapies.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. J. Critchley-Thorne, D. L. Simons, N. Yan, A. K. Miyahira, F. M. Dirbas, D. L. Johnson, S. M. Swetter, R. W. Carlson, G. A. Fisher, A. Koong, et al. Impaired interferon signaling is a common immune defect in human cancer PNAS, June 2, 2009; 106(22): 9010 - 9015. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. C. Taveira, M. R. C. G. Novaes, M. dos Anjos Reis, and M. F. da Silva Hematologic and Metabolic Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Agaricus sylvaticus Fungi on Rats Bearing Solid Walker 256 Tumor Experimental Biology and Medicine, November 1, 2008; 233(11): 1341 - 1347. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Lopez-Albaitero and R. L. Ferris Immune Activation by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Specific Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, December 1, 2007; 133(12): 1277 - 1281. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Strauss, C. Bergmann, W. Gooding, J. T. Johnson, and T. L. Whiteside The Frequency and Suppressor Function of CD4+CD25highFoxp3+ T Cells in the Circulation of Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck Clin. Cancer Res., November 1, 2007; 13(21): 6301 - 6311. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Strauss, C. Bergmann, M. Szczepanski, W. Gooding, J. T. Johnson, and T. L. Whiteside A Unique Subset of CD4+CD25highFoxp3+ T Cells Secreting Interleukin-10 and Transforming Growth Factor-{beta}1 Mediates Suppression in the Tumor Microenvironment Clin. Cancer Res., August 1, 2007; 13(15): 4345 - 4354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W. Molling, J. A.E. Langius, J. A. Langendijk, C. R. Leemans, H. J. Bontkes, H. J.J. van der Vliet, B. M. E. von Blomberg, R. J. Scheper, and A. J.M. van den Eertwegh Low Levels of Circulating Invariant Natural Killer T Cells Predict Poor Clinical Outcome in Patients With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma J. Clin. Oncol., March 1, 2007; 25(7): 862 - 868. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. E. Albers, C. Visus, T. Tsukishiro, R. L. Ferris, W. Gooding, T. L. Whiteside, and A. B. De Leo Alterations in the T-Cell Receptor Variable {beta} Gene-Restricted Profile of CD8+ T Lymphocytes in the Peripheral Circulation of Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck Clin. Cancer Res., April 15, 2006; 12(8): 2394 - 2403. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Badoual, S. Hans, J. Rodriguez, S. Peyrard, C. Klein, N. E. H. Agueznay, V. Mosseri, O. Laccourreye, P. Bruneval, W. H. Fridman, et al. Prognostic Value of Tumor-Infiltrating CD4+ T-Cell Subpopulations in Head and Neck Cancers Clin. Cancer Res., January 15, 2006; 12(2): 465 - 472. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-W. Kim, R. L. Ferris, and T. L. Whiteside Chemokine C Receptor 7 Expression and Protection of Circulating CD8+ T Lymphocytes from Apoptosis Clin. Cancer Res., November 1, 2005; 11(21): 7901 - 7910. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-W. Kim, T. Tsukishiro, J. T. Johnson, and T. L. Whiteside Expression of Pro- and Antiapoptotic Proteins in Circulating CD8+ T Cells of Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck Clin. Cancer Res., August 1, 2004; 10(15): 5101 - 5110. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]