Natural killer cell subsets and their functional molecules in peripheral blood of the patients with breast cancer

Natural killer (NK) cells, CD3^- lymphocytes, are critical players in cancer immune surveillance. This study aimed to assess two types of CD3^- NK cell classifications (subsets), that is, convectional subsets (based on CD56 and CD16 expression) and new subsets (based on CD56, CD27, and CD11b expression), and their functional molecules in the peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer (BC) in comparison with healthy donors (HDs).

Thirty untreated females with BC and 20 age-matched healthy women were enrolled. Peripheral blood samples were collected and directly incubated with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies against CD3, CD56, CD16, CD27, CD11b, CD96, NKG2C, NKG2D, NKp44, CXCR3, perforin, and granzyme B. Red blood cells were then lysed using lysing solution, and the stained cells were acquired on four-color flow cytometer.

Our results indicated 15% of lymphocytes in peripheral blood of patients with BC and HDs had NK cells phenotype. However, the frequency of total NK cells (CD3^-CD56⁺), and NK subsets (based on conventional and new classifications) was not significantly different between patients and HDs. We observed mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) of CXCR3 in total NK cells (p = .02) and the conventional cytotoxic (CD3^-CD56^dim CD16⁺) NK cells (p = .03) were significantly elevated in the patients with BC compared to HDs. Despite this, the MFI of granzyme B expression in conventional regulatory (CD3^-CD56^brightCD16^{- /+}) NK cells and CD3^-CD56^-CD16⁺ NK cells (p = .03 and p = .004, respectively) in the patients was lower than healthy subjects.

The higher expression of chemokine receptor CXCR3 on total NK cells in patients with BC may be associated with increased chemotaxis-related NK cell infiltration. However, lower expression of granzyme B in conventional regulatory NK cells and CD3^-CD56^-CD16⁺ NK cells in the patients compared to HDs suggests reduced cytotoxic activity of the NK cells in BC. These results might demonstrate accumulating NK subsets with a dysfunctional phenotype in the peripheral blood of patients with BC.