Characterization of γδ T cells in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Systemic immune defects that are associated with disease progression exist in a variety of malignancies. γδ T cells are innate-like lymphocytes that do not require self-major histocompatibility complex-restricted priming. -expanded circulating γδ T cells exhibit promising antitumor activity and are a potential candidate for the treatment of various malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the present study, flow cytometry was used as a method to study the phenotypes and characteristics of γδ T cells. A lower frequency of circulating γδ T cells was observed in NSCLC patients than in healthy controls. In advanced NSCLC patients, γδ T cells were also detected in the pleural effusion, but the frequency of γδ T cells here was significantly lower than in the peripheral blood. Vδ1and Vδ1Vδ2 T cells represented the most enriched subsets in the pleural effusion. Moreover, the present study demonstrated that Vδ1 T cells are a type of γδ T cells characterized by a cluster of differentiation (CD)3 T-cell receptor (TCR)γδ phenotype, whereas Vδ2 T cells represent a CD3TCRγδ phenotype, according to the fluorescence intensity of CD3 and γδTCR using flow cytometry. Finally, the present study reported a decrease in the expression of CD27 and CD28 molecules on the surface of circulating γδ T cells in NSCLC. The present data suggest the existence of a dysregulated repertoire of γδ T cells in NSCLC, which exhibit impaired activation and a reformed cytokine-releasing profile. Although the expansion of γδ T cells may be a prospective therapeutic strategy in NSCLC patients, it remains necessary to clarify which subsets (Vδ1 or Vδ2) should be expanded and the sources from which γδ T cells should be generated.