Intratumoral T cells, recurrence, and survival in epithelial ovarian cancer

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Tumor-infiltrating T cells are present in ovarian carcinoma.
• A clear association between T cells and clinical outcome in ovarian cancer has not been established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prognostic significance of intratumoral T cells in advanced ovarian carcinoma.
• To correlate the presence of T cells with patient survival and disease progression.

Main Methods:

• Immunohistochemical analysis of 186 advanced-stage ovarian carcinoma specimens.
• Assessment of intratumoral T cell distribution and correlation with progression-free and overall survival.
• Molecular analysis including real-time polymerase chain reaction for cytokine and chemokine expression.

Main Results:

• Intratumoral T cells were detected in 54.8% of tumors.
• The presence of intratumoral T cells significantly correlated with improved progression-free survival (P<0.001) and overall survival (P<0.001).
• Five-year overall survival was 38.0% with T cells versus 4.5% without; in responders, it was 73.9% with T cells versus 11.9% without.

Conclusions:

• Intratumoral T cells are a significant independent predictor of improved clinical outcome in advanced ovarian carcinoma.
• The presence of T cells is associated with enhanced expression of immune-related molecules (IFN-γ, IL-2, chemokines) and reduced VEGF.
• Findings support the role of T cell-mediated immunity in ovarian cancer prognosis.