A Comparative Study of Antitumor Immunity Induced by Radiofrequency Microwave and Cryoablation in Hepatocellular...

This study aimed to compare the immune responses induced by microwave ablation (MWA), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and cryoablation (CRYO) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and identify differences in immune responses and the timing of immune changes.

A bilateral subcutaneous model was established in C57 mice, and the successfully modeled mice were divided into the microwave (n = 15), radiofrequency (n = 15), CRYO (n = 15), control (n = 9), and blank groups (n = 3). Mice in the control group were dissected before ablation, whereas mice in the three ablation groups underwent ultrasound-guided ablation of one axillary tumor. Three mice were sacrificed and dissected at 1-4 weeks after ablation. After tissue processing, flow cytometry was used to detect the levels of CD8 + T and regulatory T (Treg) cells in the tissue, and western blotting was used to assess the level of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein in the tumor tissue.

The pattern of immune changes after the three types of ablation was consistent, with immune changes occurring at 3-4 weeks. CRYO induced the most significant increase in the percentage of CD8 + T cells. There were no significant differences in the levels of Treg cells and the level of PD-L1 protein among the three types of ablation (p > 0.05), but the decline in Treg cells and PD-L1 protein level caused by CRYO was the most pronounced.

In the HCC mouse model, the immune changes following the three types of ablation were consistent, with immune changes occurring at 3-4 weeks. Among them, CRYO elicited the strongest adaptive immune response, and RFA outperformed MWA.