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Immune Cell Subtypes and Cytokines in Lung Tumor Microenvironment: Influence of COPD
Jun Tang1,2, Daniel Ramis-Cabrer1, Víctor Curull1,2
1Pulmonology Department, Muscle Wasting & Cachexia in Chronic Respiratory Diseases & Lung Cancer Research Group, Hospital del Mar-IMIM, Mar Health Park, Health and Experimental Sciences Department (CEXS), Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Background:
The immune microenvironment plays a role in tumorigenesis. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an independent risk factor for lung cancer (LC). We hypothesized that immune profile characterized by T regulatory (Treg), natural killer (NK), and plasma cells, as well as interleukin (IL)-10 and interferon-gamma, may differ within tumors of LC patients with/without COPD.
Methods:
Treg (anti-CD3 and anti-forkhead boxP3 antibodies), NK (anti-NCR1 antibody), IgG (anti-CD138-IgG antibody), IgA (anti-CD138-IgA antibody) using immunohistochemistry, and both IL-10 and interferon-gamma (ELISA) were quantified in tumor and non-tumor specimens (thoracotomy for lung tumor resection) from 33 LC-COPD patients and 20 LC-only patients.
Results:
Immune profile in tumor versus non-tumor specimens: Treg cell counts significantly increased in tumors of both LC and LC-COPD patients, while in tumors of the latter group, IgG-secreting plasma cells significantly decreased and IL-10 increased. No significant differences were seen in levels of NK cells, IgA-secreting cells, IgA/IgG, or interferon-gamma. Immune profile in tumors of LC-COPD versus LC: No significant differences were observed in tumors between LC-COPD and LC patients for any study marker.
Conclusions:
Immune cell subtypes and cytokines are differentially expressed in lung tumors, and the presence of COPD elicited a decline in IgG-secreting plasma cell levels but not in other cell types.
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