Comprehensive Assessment of Selected Immune Cell Subpopulations Changes in Chemotherapy-Naïve Germ Cell Tumor Patients

Abstract

The pattern of immune cell distribution in testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) significantly differs from the immune environment in normal testicular tissues. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of different leukocyte subpopulation in GCTs. A cohort of 84 chemotherapy-naïve GCT patients was analyzed. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood leukocyte subpopulations was carried out by flow cytometry. In addition, the data assessing the immunophenotypes and the baseline clinicopathological characteristics of the included subjects were statistically evaluated. Their prognostic value for the assessment of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was estimated. The percentage of different innate/adaptive immune cell subpopulations was significantly associated with poor risk-related clinical features, including the number of metastatic sites, presence of retroperitoneal, mediastinal, lung, brain and non-pulmonary visceral metastases as well as with the S-stage and International Germ Cell Consensus Classification Group (IGCCCG) risk groups. In univariate analysis, the percentages of neutrophils, eosinophils, dendritic cells type 2, lymphocytes and T cytotoxic cells were significantly associated with PFS, while the neutrophil, non-classical monocyte and lymphocyte percentage were associated with OS. However, all these outcome correlations were not independent of IGCCCG in multivariate analysis. The data indicated a link among different innate/adaptive peripheral immune cell subpopulations in GCT patients. In addition, the association between these subpopulations and tumor characteristics was also investigated. The findings of the present study may contribute to a deeper understanding of the interactions between cancer and innate/adaptive immune response in GCT patients.

Prognostic role of plasma vitamin D and its association with disease characteristics in germ cell tumours

“…The antibody combinations used for the basic panel, the regulatory T-cell panel, the dendritic-cell (DC) panel, and the myeloid-derived suppressor-cell panel were used in the same scheme as that described by Kalavska et al. ( 40 ). Used antibodies are also listed in the supplementary material.…”

“…Briefly, leukocytes were stained using fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies from BD Pharmingen, and subsequently, leukocytes with defined immunophenotypes were quantified using flow cytometry (Canto II Cytometer; Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA). The antibody combinations used for the basic panel, the regulatory T-cell panel, the dendritic-cell (DC) panel, and the myeloid-derived suppressor-cell panel were used in the same scheme as that described by Kalavska et al (40). Used antibodies are also listed in the supplementary material.…”