In:
Journal of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Vol. 39, No. 15_suppl ( 2021-05-20), p. e21018-e21018
Abstract:
e21018 Background: Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) are proteins that negatively regulate immune responses. Increased expression of PD-L1 in cancer cells leads to inhibition of the immune response against cancer, and causes cancer development and metastasis. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation upregulates PD-L1 expression in lung cancer cells and contribute to escape from immune response. In this study, we aimed to investigate the circulating T lymphocyte subsets and, PD-1 and EGFR expression levels of these cells in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression. Methods: 40 NSCLC patients with 63.8 ± 8.0 mean age and 40 healthy controls with 60.9 ± 14.6 mean age were included in the study. In the peripheral blood samples of the patients taken at the time of diagnosis and controls, CD4 + T helper (Th) subsets (Th1, Th2, Th9, Th17, Th1Th17, CD4 + follicular T [Tfc] and peripheral T cells [Tpcs] ), CD8 + cytotoxic T cell (CTL) subsets (CD8 + Tfcs and Tpcs), EGFR and PD-1 expression levels of T cells were determined by flow cytometric analysis. Results: Total lymphocyte ratio was decreased in patients with NSCLC compared to control (11.5 ± 5.2 in patients and 17.6 ± 6.1 in controls, p = 0.001), but there was no significant difference in CD3 + total T, Th and CTLs as well as their subsets (p 〈 0.05). Increased PD-1 expression level (mean fluorescence intensity-MFI) on total lymphocyte (p = 0.001), CD3 + T (p = 0.001), CD4 + Th (p = 0.001), CTL (p = 0.016), CD4 + Tpc (p = 0.002) and CD8 + Tpc subsets (p = 0.017) were determined in the patients compared with controls. EGFR expressions were also increased on total lymphocyte, CD3 + T, Th and Th2 cells (p = 0.034, p = 0.020, p = 0.030, respectively). 19 NSCLC patients were metastatic, while 21 patients were non-metastatic. There was no significant difference in mean age between metastatic and non-metastatic NSCLC patients. Reduced total lymphocytes and Th cells, increased Th1Th17 cells were found in metastatic NSCLC patients (p = 0.003, p = 0.046 and p = 0.022, respectively). The percentage of EGFR in CD3 + T cell and Th17 cells decreased in metastatic patients. Conclusions: This study showed the increased PD-1 and EGFR expression levels of T lymphocytes in patients with NSCLC. Cancer cells may upregulate PD-1 expression by inducing EGFR activation on lymphocytes to suppress immune responses, leading to programmed cell death of lymphocytes and a decrease in the percentage of these cells in NSCLC. Therapeutic approaches focused on changing EGFR need to be considered for the distribution of T cell subsets and EGFR expressions.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0732-183X
,
1527-7755
DOI:
10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.e21018
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2005181-5
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