Differences in circulating γδ T cells in patients with primary colon cancer and relation with prognostic factors

PLoS One. 2020 Dec 16;15(12):e0243545. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243545. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Downregulation of the T cell system has been proposed as a mechanism to block immunity in colonic cancer (CC). However, little has been studied about circulating αβ and γδ T cells and their immunological status in newly diagnosed patients. The aim of this study was to characterize the αβ and γδ T cell subsets in peripheral blood of patients with CC matched with healthy volunteers. In this prospective case-control study, blood samples were obtained from 96 patients with newly diagnosed treatment-naïve infiltrating colonic adenocarcinoma and 48 healthy volunteers. Pathological report at surgery was obtained from all CC patients. A significant decrease in CD3+ γδ T cells and CD3+CD8+ γδ T cells (p<0.001) were observed in CC patients. Apoptosis was significantly increased in all conventional and both αβ and γδ T cell subsets in patients with CC vs healthy subjects. γδ T cells were decreased in peripheral blood of patients with microscopic infiltration in tissues, history of cancer and synchronous colon cancer (p < 0.05). IFN-γ was significantly reduced in CC patients compared to controls. Cytotoxic effector γδ T cells TEMRA (CD8 and CD56) are the proportionally most abundant T cells in peripheral blood of CC patients. Patients with CC present a deep downregulation in the systemic T-cell immunity. These variations are evident through all tumor stages and suggest that a deficiency in γδ T cell populations could be preventing control of tumor progression. This fact prove the role of immunomodulation on CC carcinogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Colonic Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interferon-gamma / analysis
  • Interferon-gamma / blood
  • Intraepithelial Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Intraepithelial Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / immunology
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / analysis
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / blood

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interferon-gamma

Grants and funding

“Town Council of Llíria, València, Spain”. “The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.”