Department of Interventional Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University , Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
Cell Cycle. 2020 Dec;19(24):3595-3607. doi: 10.1080/15384101.2020.1853942. Epub 2020 Dec 7.
Microwave ablation (MWA) has been widely used in the treatment of solid tumors. Studies have been less conducted on the efficacy of MWA used with cell immunotherapy in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The current study aimed at exploring the efficacy of MWA in combination with cell immunotherapy in treating HCC. Hepa1-6 HCC mice were treated by MWA, blockade, or the combined therapy (MWA used with blockade), or left untreated. Survival rates of the mice were plotted by Kaplan-Meier Curve, followed by log-rank test. 25 days after the operation, surviving mice were monitored for tumor recurrence, and tumor volumes were calculated every 5 days. Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry were performed to detect the numbers of CD4 and CD8 cells in the tumors and spleens of mice. The expressions of related cytokines were detected and measured by ELISPOT and ELISA. The results showed that MWA combined with anti-PD-1/anti-CTLA-4 not only increased the survival time, protected the mice against tumor recurrence, but also enhanced the intratumoral infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocyte and systemic T-cell immune responses induced by MWA through activation of synergistically specific antitumor immunity. In addition, the combined therapy increased T-helper 1 cell (Th1-type) cytokines, but reduced Th2-type cytokines, resulting in the polarization of Th1 cells. T-cell immune responses of HCC cells were activated by MWA. In addition, the combined therapy of MWA and anti-PD-1/anti-CTLA-4 induced Th1-type immune response, and showed specific antitumor immunity.
微波消融 (MWA) 已广泛应用于实体肿瘤的治疗。关于 MWA 联合细胞免疫疗法治疗肝细胞癌 (HCC) 的疗效研究较少。本研究旨在探索 MWA 联合细胞免疫疗法治疗 HCC 的疗效。采用 MWA、阻断或联合治疗(MWA 联合阻断)对 Hepa1-6 HCC 小鼠进行治疗,或不进行治疗。采用 Kaplan-Meier 曲线绘制小鼠的生存率,然后进行对数秩检验。手术后 25 天,监测存活小鼠的肿瘤复发情况,并每隔 5 天计算肿瘤体积。采用免疫组化和流式细胞术检测小鼠肿瘤和脾脏中 CD4 和 CD8 细胞的数量。采用 ELISPOT 和 ELISA 检测相关细胞因子的表达和测量。结果表明,MWA 联合抗 PD-1/抗 CTLA-4 不仅提高了生存时间,防止了肿瘤复发,而且通过协同激活特异性抗肿瘤免疫,增强了 MWA 诱导的肿瘤内细胞毒性 T 淋巴细胞浸润和全身 T 细胞免疫反应。此外,联合治疗增加了 T 辅助细胞 1 型(Th1 型)细胞因子,但减少了 Th2 型细胞因子,导致 Th1 细胞的极化。MWA 激活了 HCC 细胞的 T 细胞免疫反应。此外,MWA 联合抗 PD-1/抗 CTLA-4 的联合治疗诱导了 Th1 型免疫反应,并表现出特异性抗肿瘤免疫。