Characteristics and postoperative dynamic changes in circulating CD4 helper T lymphocytes in patients with breast cancer.

INTRODUCTION

Circulating CD4 helper T cell (Th) subsets provide potentially important information on disease progression in several cancers. In this study, we explored the characteristics and postoperative dynamic changes in circulating CD4Th subsets in patients with breast cancer.

METHODS

Circulating CD4Th subsets, including CD4 naive T cells (Tn), CD4 central memory T cells (Tcm), CD4 effector memory T cells (Tem), CD4CD57T, and CD4PD-1T, were detected with multiparameter flow cytometry. T-test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare differences between groups for normally and non-normally distributed continuous variables, respectively. Postoperative dynamic changes in CD4Th subsets were assessed using the paired-sample rank-sum test.

RESULTS

Seventy-five patients with invasive breast cancer and fifty-three patients with benign breast tumors were enrolled. Compared with that in patients with benign tumors, the proportion of CD4Tn in patients with breast cancer patients decreased, whereas the proportion and absolute number of CD4CD57T and CD4PD-1T increased. Moreover, the proportion of CD4PD-1T was correlated with the clinicopathology of breast cancer. After tumor resection, the proportion and absolute number of CD4Tcm significantly decreased, while those of CD4Tem significantly increased, compared with preoperative values. Tumor resection caused significant changes in the proportion and absolute number of CD4CD57T and CD4PD-1 T, both of which showed significant decreases.

DISCUSSION

We found significant changes in circulating CD4Th subsets in patients with breast cancer. Additionally, complete tumor resection can benefit the patient as it balances the patient's immunosuppression and immune stress and improves the immune exhaustion and immunosenescence states.