Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 28, 2025
08:02
Determination of Immune Cell Identity and Purity Using Epigenetic-Based Quantitative PCR
Published on: February 19, 2020
7.5K
Circulating Immune Cell Composition and Cancer Risk: A Prospective Study Using Epigenetic Cell Count Measures.
Charlotte Le Cornet1, Konstantin Schildknecht2, Araceli Rossello Chornet2
1Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
Cancer Research
|February 21, 2020
Summary
Elevated FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and lower cytotoxic CD8+ T cells are linked to increased cancer risk in healthy individuals. This study highlights immune cell balance as a key factor in cancer development.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
- Oncology
Background:
- Immune cell homeostasis is a known prognostic factor in cancer patients.
- Its role in determining cancer risk in healthy individuals remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between immune cell composition and the risk of developing breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer.
- To identify specific immune cell types that may serve as risk factors for cancer development.
Main Methods:
- A case-cohort study design was employed using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Heidelberg cohort.
- Relative counts of immune cell sublineages were quantified using qRT-PCR.
- Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess associations.
Main Results:
- Higher relative counts of FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) were positively associated with lung, colorectal, and breast cancer risk.
- Lower relative counts of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells were inversely associated with lung and breast cancer risk.
- No significant associations were observed for immune cell composition and prostate cancer risk.
Conclusions:
- Elevated levels of FOXP3+ Tregs and reduced levels of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells are identified as potential risk factors for cancer development in healthy individuals.
- This epidemiologic study underscores the importance of immune cell balance, specifically regulatory and cytotoxic T cells, in cancer risk assessment.
