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Tumor-infiltrating T cells have a positive influence on the clinical course of B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with B cell NHL, however, have so far rarely been examined.
Using flow cytometry we examined lymphocyte subpopulations and numbers of naïve/memory T cell subtypes among peripheral T cells of patients with B cell NHL (
N
=
22), patients with metastasized solid tumors (
N
=
27), and healthy controls (
N
=
20). In addition, we analyzed the intracellular content of effector molecules granzyme B and perforin and expression of the T cell receptor zeta chain.
We observed increased percentages of potentially highly cytotoxic CD8+CD56+ T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with NHL. Both, patients with NHL and patients with solid tumors showed a much higher expression of the chemokine receptors CCR4 and CCR5 on their T cells than healthy controls, suggesting a polarization of their T cells following stimulation with antigen and/or cytokines in vivo. Furthermore, patients with B cell NHL and patients with solid tumors had far lower percentages of naïve CD45RA+CCR7+ T cells than healthy controls and, in the case of CD4+ T cells, patients with solid tumors. In contrast, patients with B cell NHL showed markedly increased levels of memory effector CD45RA−CCR7− CD4
+ T cells when compared to healthy controls and patients with metastasized solid tumors. Patients with NHL also showed elevated levels granzyme B within CD8
+ T cells, indicating that the increase in memory effector cells was of functional relevance.
These findings indicate a marked shift in the composition of peripheral T cells of patients with B cell NHL from naïve to memory effector-type cells.