Circulating CD4+CD25highFoxP3+ T Cells in Non- metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Related to Hepatitis C Virus Cirrhosis

Title: Circulating CD4⁺CD25^highFoxP3⁺ T Cells in Non- metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Related to Hepatitis C Virus Cirrhosis

Authors: Abeer Attia Saad, MD, Heba Mohamed Abdella, MD, Doaa G Eissa, MD, Marwa G. A Hegazy, PhD, Amal Farouk, MD, Marcel William Keddeas, MD, Nahla Fawzy Abouelezz, MD, Ahmed Kamal Eldorry, MD, Mohamed Kamal Shaker, MD

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v4i9.66

Abstract

References

Corresponding Author

Abstract

Background: T-regs play a role in suppression of the tumor immune response, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We studied circulating T-regs in non-metastatic HCC patients related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) cirrhosis by comparing and correlating levels in different stages of the disease with survival and various clinico-pathologic features.

Methods: 76 non-metastasizing HCC patients and 76 healthy volunteers were assessed for circulating T-regs using flow cytometry in addition to complete blood picture, liver function test, alpha fetoprotein (AFP).

Results: Patients showed higher T-regs% and T-effs% than controls (P<0.001) with lower absolute number of both cells in patients (P= 0.001, 0.002 respectively). No significant differences were found between stage A and stage B patients (P> 0.05). The absolute numbers of both T-regs and T-effs cells were significantly higher in patients with tumor size of the largest nodule more than 3 cm (P= 0.02, 0.008 respectively). T-regs% was significantly higher in patients with higher serum AFP levels and multiple tumor foci (P= 0.004, 0.02 respectively). Patients with higher T-regs% had significantly shorter overall mean survival time (p=0.003).

Conclusions: HCC showed increased peripheral blood T-regs more in patients with larger tumor sizes, multiple tumor foci and higher serum AFP, and was linked to shorter overall mean survival time.

Keywords: circulating T-regs, Hepatitis C virus, cirrhosis, Hepatocellular carcinoma.

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Abstract

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