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Prognostic Relevance of T Regulatory Cells in Patients with Advanced-Stage Serous Carcinoma Ovary

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Indian Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Despite improved treatment options, recurrence rates remain high in ovarian cancer. Tumor microenvironment, particularly T cells, plays an important role in its natural history. The present study was conducted to study the kinetics of T cell subsets in homogenous population of advanced-stage ovarian cancer patients of serous histology with reference to treatment and outcome.

Methods

We assessed the frequencies of CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs, CD4+ CD25intermediate to high FOXP3+ CD127low) and natural killer cells in peripheral blood at baseline (n = 41) and post-treatment (n = 27) in the patients and compared it with blood of healthy controls (n = 15). The ascitic fluid of 12 of these patients was compared with ascitic fluid of patients with cirrhotic liver disease (n = 5).

Results

Higher numbers of Tregs, CD8+ T cells and higher Treg/CD4 ratio and reduced numbers of CD4+ T cells and reduced CD4/CD8 ratio were observed in patients as compared to controls. An increase in total number of T cells was observed with treatment, while no change in frequency of any lymphocyte subset was evident.

Conclusions

These results support previous studies exhibiting an increase in Tregs in ovarian cancer patients. Unchanged levels of T cell subsets subsequent to treatment suggest that they may be resistant to reset to healthy control homeostatic levels with standard chemotherapeutic treatments. Lower CD4 levels, higher CD8 levels, altered CD4/CD8 ratio and T cell subsets call for evaluation of role of immunomodulating agents or Treg-targeted immunotherapy in the treatment of advanced-stage serous carcinoma ovary.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a research Grant (No. 5/13/108/2011/NCD-III) from Indian council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

    Saphalta Baghmar, Lalit Kumar, Prabhat Singh Malik & T. V. S. V. G. K. Tilak

  2. Department of Laboratory Oncology, Dr. B.R.A Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India

    Lata Rani, Nitin Mathur & Ritu Gupta

  3. Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

    V. Sreenivas

Authors
  1. Saphalta Baghmar
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  2. Lalit Kumar
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  3. Lata Rani
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  4. Nitin Mathur
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  5. V. Sreenivas
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  6. Prabhat Singh Malik
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  7. T. V. S. V. G. K. Tilak
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  8. Ritu Gupta
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Correspondence to Ritu Gupta.

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Baghmar, S., Kumar, L., Rani, L. et al. Prognostic Relevance of T Regulatory Cells in Patients with Advanced-Stage Serous Carcinoma Ovary. Indian J Gynecol Oncolog 14, 20 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40944-016-0050-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40944-016-0050-8

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