Reference Database

YearReference
2007
Functional inactivation of EBV-specific T-lymphocytes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: implications for tumor immunotherapy.
Li, Jiang
Zeng, Xue-hui
Mo, Hao-yuan
Rolén, Ulrika
Gao, Yan-fang
Zhang, Xiao-shi
Chen, Qiu-yan
Zhang, Li
Zeng, Mu-sheng
Li, Man-zhi
Huang, Wen-lin
Wang, Xiao-ning
Zeng, Yi-xin
Masucci, Maria G
PloS one 2007 Nov 07;2: e1122
Abstract

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated malignancy with high prevalence in Southern Chinese. In order to assess whether defects of EBV-specific immunity may contribute to the tumor, the phenotype and function of circulating T-cells and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were investigated in untreated NPC patients. Circulating naïve CD3+CD45RA+ and CD4+CD25- cells were decreased, while activated CD4+CD25+ T-cells and CD3-CD16+ NK-cells were increased in patients compared to healthy donors. The frequency of T-cells recognizing seven HLA-A2 restricted epitopes in LMP1 and LMP2 was lower in the patients and remained low after stimulation with autologous EBV-carrying cells. TILs expanded in low doses of IL-2 exhibited an increase of CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD45RO+ and CD4+CD25+ cells and 2 to 5 fold higher frequency of LMP1 and LMP2 tetramer positive cells compared to peripheral blood. EBV-specific cytotoxicity could be reactivated from the blood of most patients, whereas the TILs lacked cytotoxic activity and failed to produce IFNgamma upon specific stimulation. Thus, EBV-specific rejection responses appear to be functionally inactivated at the tumor site in NPC.

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