NY-ESO-1-Specific Circulating CD4+ T Cells in Ovarian Cancer Patients Are Prevalently TH1 Type Cells Undetectable in the CD25+FOXP3+Treg Compartment
2011

NY-ESO-1-Specific CD4+ T Cells in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Sample size: 110 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Redjimi Nassima, Duperrier-Amouriaux Karine, Raimbaud Isabelle, Luescher Immanuel, Dojcinovic Danijel, Classe Jean-Marc, Berton-Rigaud Dominique, Frenel Jean-Sébastien, Bourbouloux Emmanuelle, Valmori Danila, Ayyoub Maha

Primary Institution: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 892, CLCC René Gauducheau, Saint Herblain, France

Hypothesis

Are spontaneous CD4+ T-cell responses to the tumor-specific antigen NY-ESO-1 predominantly effector or regulatory T cells in ovarian cancer patients?

Conclusion

The study found that circulating NY-ESO-1-specific CD4+ T cells in ovarian cancer patients are mainly TH1 type cells that do not exhibit suppressive functions.

Supporting Evidence

  • Spontaneous CD4+ T-cell responses to NY-ESO-1 are frequently found in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
  • Circulating ESO-specific CD4+ T cells are predominantly TH1 type cells secreting IFN-γ.
  • No significant differences in the proportion of Treg were found between EOC patients and healthy donors.

Takeaway

In ovarian cancer patients, the immune cells that respond to a specific tumor marker are mostly the good guys that help fight the cancer, not the ones that hold back the immune response.

Methodology

The study used functional approaches and MHC class II/ESO peptide tetramers to assess the frequency, phenotype, and function of ESO-specific CD4+ T cells in circulating lymphocytes from EOC patients.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the selection of patients who had undergone chemotherapy.

Limitations

The study was limited to patients who had received first-line chemotherapy, which may affect Treg populations.

Participant Demographics

The study included 110 EOC patients with a mean age of 56 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0022845

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