OBJECTIVE

To study the expression and clinical importance of CD4T, CD8T cells, and CD4T/CD8T cell percentage in gastric cancer (GC) patients.

METHODS

The blood count of CD4T and CD8T lymphocytes was ascertained via flow cytometry before surgery in 93 GC patients undergoing gastrectomy. The CD4T, CD8T, and Foxp3T lymphocytes in cancerous and normal adjacent tissues and the presence of PD-L1 in cancerous tissues were detected via immunohistochemistry. The link between the permeation of CD4T, CD8T lymphocytes in venous blood, and cancer and normal adjacent tissues was analyzed.

RESULTS

Lauren histotype, TNM stage, lymphatic/nervous invasion, and NLR level were all considerably associated with peripheral CD4T and CD8T cell levels, whereas CD8T lymphocytes were also associated with vascular invasion ( < 0.05). The CD4T lymphocyte counts, CD4T, and CD8T cell percentage in GC tissues were found to have been decreased when compared to normal adjacent tissues, whereas the CD8T and Foxp3T lymphocyte count was higher in GC tissues ( < 0.05). According to a Spearman analysis, the CD4T and CD8T cell counts in tumor tissues were positively related to the Foxp3T lymphocyte count ( < 0.05). Greater peripheral CD4T lymphocyte counts and increased level of CD4T/CD8T percentage corresponded with greater CD4T cell levels and increased CD4T/CD8T quantity in normal adjacent tissues. Higher levels of peripheral CD8T cells corresponded with higher quantities of CD8T cells in cancer tissues. A reduced CD4T lymphocyte count, together with a reduced CD4T/CD8T percentage in venous blood, was consistent with a diminished CD4T cell count along with a reduced CD4T/CD8T lymphocyte ratio in cancer and normal adjacent tissues.

CONCLUSION

The peripheral quantity of CD4T and CD8T lymphocytes in GC patients can partly reflect the infiltrating state of these lymphocytes in cancer and normal adjacent tissues and can preliminarily predict immunotherapy response to a certain extent.