High Number of Intraepithelial CD8+ Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Is Associated with the Absence of Lymph Node Metastases in Patients with Large Early-Stage Cervical Cancer
Open Access
- 1 January 2007
- journal article
- Published by American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Cancer Research
- Vol. 67 (1), 354-361
- https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.can-06-3388
Abstract
In a prospective study, we have examined the tumor-specific immune response in a group of 59 patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) 16-positive (HPV16+)–induced or HPV18+-induced cervical cancer. Local antitumor immunity was analyzed by the enumeration of tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells and CD4+, CD8+, and regulatory T cells as well as by calculation of the ratio of CD8+/CD4+ T cells and CD8+/regulatory T cells. Systemic tumor-specific immunity was assessed by determination of the HPV E6- and/or E7-specific T-cell response in the blood of these patients. Finally, these variables were evaluated with respect to known histopathologic prognostic variables, including the absence (LN−) or presence (LN+) of lymph node metastases. Stratification according to the lymph node status of patients revealed a significantly stronger CD8+ T-cell tumor infiltration, a higher CD8+/CD4+ T-cell ratio, and higher CD8+/regulatory T-cell ratio in the group of patients in which the tumor failed to metastasize to the tumor-draining lymph node. Subdivision according to the presence (IR+) or absence (IR−) of circulating HPV-specific T cells disclosed that the highest number of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells was found in the group of LN− patients displaying a concomitant systemic tumor-specific immune response (LN−IR+). CD8+ T-cell infiltration in LN−IR− patients was comparable with that of LN+ patients. In cervical cancer, the absence of lymph node metastases is strongly associated with a better prognosis. Our data indicate that, especially in a subgroup of LN− patients, a strong and effective interaction between immune system and tumor exists. This subgroup of cervical cancer patients may have the best prognosis. [Cancer Res 2007;67(1):354–61]Keywords
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