TY - JOUR
T1 - Changes in peripheral blood level of regulatory T cells in patients with malignant melanoma during treatment with dendritic cell vaccination and low-dose IL-2
AU - Bjoern, J
AU - Brimnes, M K
AU - Andersen, M H
AU - Straten, Per thor
AU - Svane, I M
N1 - © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
PY - 2011/3
Y1 - 2011/3
N2 - In this study, changes in peripheral blood regulatory T cell (Treg) levels were evaluated in 46 progressive patients with melanoma treated with a dendritic cell-based vaccine and concomitant low-dose IFN-α and IL-2. The regulatory subset of CD4 T cells, characterized by CD25high, was prospectively analysed in fresh blood, and treatment-associated quantitative and qualitative changes were analysed. By the 4th vaccine, patients showed a marked increase in CD4+CD25high T cell subset from 6% to 22% (P<0.001). At the 6th vaccine, a general decline was observed and a significantly (P=0.01) lower level of CD4+CD25high Treg cells was reached in the group of patients who attained disease stabilization (9.5%) compared to patients with continued progressive disease (14.5%). However, when FoxP3 was employed for retrospective analysis of Tregs on frozen blood, this difference did not reach significance (P=0.09). The vast majority of the Treg produced IL-10 and, to a varying extent, TGF-β. In addition, sorted CD4+CD25highCD127- Tregs were able to suppress proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a dose-dependent manner, thus suggesting a regulatory functionality. These findings emphasize the need for strategies to effectively eliminate Treg cells to optimize the clinical effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.
AB - In this study, changes in peripheral blood regulatory T cell (Treg) levels were evaluated in 46 progressive patients with melanoma treated with a dendritic cell-based vaccine and concomitant low-dose IFN-α and IL-2. The regulatory subset of CD4 T cells, characterized by CD25high, was prospectively analysed in fresh blood, and treatment-associated quantitative and qualitative changes were analysed. By the 4th vaccine, patients showed a marked increase in CD4+CD25high T cell subset from 6% to 22% (P<0.001). At the 6th vaccine, a general decline was observed and a significantly (P=0.01) lower level of CD4+CD25high Treg cells was reached in the group of patients who attained disease stabilization (9.5%) compared to patients with continued progressive disease (14.5%). However, when FoxP3 was employed for retrospective analysis of Tregs on frozen blood, this difference did not reach significance (P=0.09). The vast majority of the Treg produced IL-10 and, to a varying extent, TGF-β. In addition, sorted CD4+CD25highCD127- Tregs were able to suppress proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a dose-dependent manner, thus suggesting a regulatory functionality. These findings emphasize the need for strategies to effectively eliminate Treg cells to optimize the clinical effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.
U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2010.02494.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2010.02494.x
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0301-6323
VL - 73
SP - 222
EP - 233
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, Supplement
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, Supplement
IS - 3
ER -
