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Regulatory T cells increase in breast cancer and in stage IV breast cancer

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Abstract

Expression levels of VEGF and Her-2, levels of T-regulatory (Treg) cells, levels of CD3+ cells, and ratios of Th (CD4+ T cells)/Tr (Treg) cells were compared between stage I, II, III, and IV breast cancer patients (n = 120) prior to chemotherapy and healthy women (n = 30). Cells from peripheral blood were counted by flow cytometry, Her-2 and VEGF expression was detected by pathological examination, and Her-2 was detected by FISH. Breast cancer patients had more Treg cells and a lower ratio of Th/Tr cells than the healthy women. Stage IV breast cancer patients had more Treg cells and a lower ratio of Th/Tr cells than stage I, II, or III breast cancer patients. Patients positive for VEGF had a lower ratio of Th/Tr cells compared with patients negative for VEGF, and those positive for both VEGF and Her-2 also had a lower ratio of Th/Tr cells compared with patients not positive for both VEGF and Her-2. The decreased Th/Tr cells ratio indicates impaired immune function, suggesting that the stage IV breast cancer and the Her-2/VEGF-positive breast cancer patients have lower immune function.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Innovation Fund from the Chinese PLA General Hospital (No. 06LN14).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, China

    Zhi-kuan Wang, Bo Yang, Hui Liu, Yi Hu, Jun-lan Yang, Liang-liang Wu & Shun-chang Jiao

  2. Department of Pathology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, China

    Zhen-hong Zhou

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  1. Zhi-kuan Wang
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  2. Bo Yang
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Correspondence to Shun-chang Jiao.

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Wang, Zk., Yang, B., Liu, H. et al. Regulatory T cells increase in breast cancer and in stage IV breast cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 61, 911–916 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-011-1158-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-011-1158-4

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