High expression of the checkpoint molecule PD-1 on conventional CD4+ and regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of Hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Professor of Immunology Immunology & Biotechnology Division Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

2 Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt.

3 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta.

4 Center of Excellence of Cancer Research, Tanta University Educational Hospital

Abstract

Background: Regulatory T cells (Tregs), possess a suppression function leading to T cells exhaustion and tumor progression through serious of signaling pathways of inhibitory receptors under pathological conditions in particular cancer including hepatocellular carcinoma. Conventional helper CD4+ T cells can be converted into regulatory T cells that may suppress anti HCC immunity through different mechanisms including expression of PD-1. PD-1 inhibitory checkpoint and its ligand PDL-1 emerge immune escape through interaction between T cell and tumor microenvironment. Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze the expression level of the regulatory checkpoint (PD-1) on T cells in HCC patients. Materials and methods: The numbers of conventional and regulatory T cells and their expression of checkpoint receptor PD-1 were analyzed in the peripheral blood of HCC patients (n=20) as well as healthy control volunteers (n=15) using multi-parametric flow cytometry after staining with anti-CD4, anti-CD25, anti-CD127 for (T cells) and anti PD-1 (CD279). Results: As compared to healthy control volunteers HCC patients showed high relative numbers of Tregs expressing CD4+CD25+CD127- and decrease relative number of conventional CD4+ defines as CD4+CD25-CD127-. These cells showed high expression by increasing level of PD-1 where CD4+ showed high expression than Tregs. Similar cells number of PD-1 expression where observed at the level of absolute numbers. Conclusion: HCC patients before treatment express high level of the checkpoint molecule PD-1 opening the door for further investigations.

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