Characteristics of circulating adaptive immune cells in patients with colorectal cancer

Abstract

Adaptive immune cells prevent solid tumor progression by targeting and killing tumor cells. However, there are no comprehensive studies on peripheral circulating adaptive immune cell characterization in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients or the effect of tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages on these cells. In this study, the number, phenotype, and function of different subsets of circulating adaptive immune cells in peripheral blood of CRC patients were analyzed. We found remarkable differences in CRC patients compared with those in healthy controls, including reduced absolute counts of total T cells, helper T lymphocytes (Th), cytotoxic T lymphocytes (Tc), and double-negative T lymphocytes, a decreased proportion of INF-γ+ cells in total T cells and Th, and increased percentages of B cells, plasmablasts, and activated T cells. Compared with early-stage CRC patients, advanced-stage CRC patients showed more severe immunosenescence, which manifested as decreased proportions of CD8+ naive T cells with strong proliferative ability and CD8+ central memory T cells with immune surveillance function. Proportions and absolute counts of CD8+ and CD4+ terminally differentiated effector memory T cells were increased, indicating immunosenescence. The immune cell characteristics analyzed in this study serve as a starting point for further research to determine potential clinical implications.

Phenotypic and functional exhaustion of circulating CD3+CD56+NKT‐like cells in colorectal cancer patients

“…CD3 + T cells in CRC patients were found to produce lower levels of IFN-γ, consistent with previous findings. 48 NKG2A, a co-inhibitory molecule, forms a heterodimer with CD94 on the surface of NK and T cells. 49 The non-classical MHC-I molecule HLA-E, a ligand of NKG2A, is widely found in numerous tumors, including colon cancer.…”

IFN-Type-I Response and Systemic Immunity in Rectal Adenocarcinoma Patients Treated with Conventional or Hypofractionated Neoadjuvant Radiotherapy

“…An et al showed that CD4+/CD25+/FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells were significantly increased in patients with extensive stage small cell lung carcinoma when compared to controls, while an enhanced proliferation potential of CD8+ T-cells was indicative of better progression-free survival [28]. In addition, lower overall T-cell and cytotoxic/helper T-cell counts were noted in colorectal cancer patients vs. healthy controls [29].…”

Changes in subset distribution and impaired function of circulating natural killer cells in patients with colorectal cancer

“…Therefore, early preoperative diagnosis can provide vital information for treatment-related decision-making. Immune cell subsets are currently an exciting target for CRC immunotherapy and early clinical diagnostic biomarker research because immune system regulation influences disease progression in patients with CRC 4 , 5 .…”