The Effect Of Chemotherapy On Treg In Peripheral Blood Of Patients With Breast Cancer

Objective T cells constitutively expressing CD4 and CD 25 marker are essential for maintenance of self-tolerance and have been referred to as regulatory T cells(Treg).Treg also have been reported to be potent inhibitors of an antitumor immune response.The current study was designed to investigate the effect of chemotherapy on Treg in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer who received radical mastectomy or modify radical mastectomy, providing some dates for chemoimmunotherapy of breast cancer.Methods 52 peripheral blood of post-operated patients with breast cancer were collected 1 day before chemotherapy and the 10th day after chemotherapy, who were all diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma finally and administrated with docetaxel and pharmorubicin.The proportion of Treg and CD₃⁺,CD₄⁺,CD₈⁺T cells in the total amount T cells was evaluated by flow cytometry analysis.The cytokine suchas IL-4,IL-10,TGF-β1 and IFN-γwere measured by the ELLSA method.Results1 The proportion of Treg in peripheral.blood from post-chemo patients with breast cancer is less than the pre-chemo patients,(4.75±1.60)%versus (5.59±1.81)%(P＜0.05),and the change of Treg is not correlate with age, lymph node +/－,the number of positive lymph node and menopaused status(P＞0.05).2 The percentage of CD₃⁺,CD₄⁺ T cells in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer are not significantly different after chemotherapy, (64.690±7.469)%versus(64.357±9.356)%(P＞0.05),(38.048±10.671)% versus(36.536±9.664)%(P＞0.05).3 The prevalence of CD₈⁺ T cells in T lymphocytes increased from (24.876±6.631)%to(28.129±10.900)%after chemotherapy(P＜0.05), but while CD₄⁺/CD₈⁺ decreased from(1.680±0.704)%to(1.506±0.691)% (P＜0.05).4 The change of CD₈⁺ T cells and CD₄⁺/CD₈⁺ were not correlate with the change of Treg after chemotherapy.5 The levels of IL-4,IL-10 and TGF-β1 are lower after chemotherapy than those before chemotherapy(P＜0.05),while the level of IFN-γis higher(P＜0.05).6 The change of Treg is not correlate with the change of cytokines such as IL-4,IL-10,TGF-β1 and IFN-γ.Conclusion Chemotherapy may enhance anti-tumor efficiency through reducing Treg in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer.The levels of cytokine such as IL-4,IL-10,TGF-β1 and IFN-γare changed after chemotherapy,but the antitumor immunosuppressive features of Treg is not significant correlated with these cytokines.