Expression And Clinical Significance Of CD3~+ CD56~+ NKT Cells And Its Two Subtypes In The Peripheral Blood Of The Patients With Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Objective The aim of this research is to preliminarily explore the immunoregulation effect of NKT cells and its two subtypes: CD3~+ CD56~+ CD4~+ NKT and CD3~+ CD56~+ CD8~+ NKT cells on thyroid neoplasm through determination of their expression in peripheral blood of patients with thyroid papillary carcinoma and healthy subjects.Methods NKT cells and CD4~+ as well as CD8~+ NKT cells in peripheral venous blood were analyzed in 53 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma and 37 healthy subjects by flow cytometry.Results 1. Expression rate of NKT cells in peripheral venous blood was higher significantly in patients with thyroid papillary carcinoma (6.52±3.56%) than normal control group (4.34±2.27%) (P<0.01) and CD4~+ NKT also showed similar trend (2.82±1.71% vs. 1.17±0.63%) (P<0.01) while there was no significant difference in CD8~+ NKT cells between healthy control group (3.05±2.10%) and patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (3.28±1.79%)(P>0.05)。2. The expression of peripheral NKT cells and CD4~+ as well as CD8~+ NKT cells have no statistical difference among patients with stageⅠ,ⅡandⅢthyroid papillary carcinoma (P>0.05). The corresponding expression rate was respectively 6.82±4.25%,6.47±3.14% and 6.28±3.43% for NKT cells. 2.34±1.38%, 3.17±1.84% and 2.93±1.85% for CD4~+ NKT cells and 3.48±2.16%,3.13±1.66%,and 3.23±1.61%for CD8~+ NKT cells.3. There was no significant difference in the expression of peripheral NKT cells or CD4~+,CD8~+ NKT cells between patients with cervical lymph node metastases and not. (P>0.05). The expression rate was respectively 6.57±3.42% and 6.45±3.80%in patients with cervical lymph node metastases for NKT cells, 2.80±1.80% and 2.84±1.68% for CD4~+ NKT and 3.25±1.79% and 3.30±1.82% for CD8~+ NKT cells.Conclusion 1.The high expressions of peripheral NKT cells and CD4~+ NKT cells in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma suggested that the two kinds of cells restrained the antitumor effect,downregulated immunosurveillance capability and possibily promoted the development of thyroid papillary carcinoma.2. The expressions of peripheral NKT cells andCD4~+ as well as CD8~+ NKT cells have no significant differences among patients with stageⅠ,ⅡandⅢthyroid papillary carcinoma, suggesting that the three cells have no significant effect on the development or severity of papillary thyroid carcinoma.3. There is no significant differences in the expression of peripheral NKT cells, CD4~+ or CD8~+ NKT cells between patients with cervical lymph node metastases and not, which illustrates that these cells are of no remarkable significance in lymph node metastasis of thyroid papillary carcinoma.