Foxp3+调节性T细胞与肝癌肝移植患者术后肿瘤复发关系的研究

杜国盛, 周林, 朱志东, 宋继勇, 封立魁, 郑永根, 索龙龙, 杨绍臻

杜国盛, 周林, 朱志东, 等. Foxp3+调节性T细胞与肝癌肝移植患者术后肿瘤复发关系的研究[J]. 器官移植, 2015, 6(5): 311-315. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-7445.2015.05.007
引用本文: 杜国盛, 周林, 朱志东, 等. Foxp3+调节性T细胞与肝癌肝移植患者术后肿瘤复发关系的研究[J]. 器官移植, 2015, 6(5): 311-315. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-7445.2015.05.007
Du Guosheng, Zhou Lin, Zhu Zhidong, et al. Research on the relationship between Foxp3+ Regulatory T cell and tumor recurrence of patients after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma[J]. ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION, 2015, 6(5): 311-315. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-7445.2015.05.007
Citation: Du Guosheng, Zhou Lin, Zhu Zhidong, et al. Research on the relationship between Foxp3+ Regulatory T cell and tumor recurrence of patients after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma[J]. ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION, 2015, 6(5): 311-315. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-7445.2015.05.007

Foxp3+调节性T细胞与肝癌肝移植患者术后肿瘤复发关系的研究

基金项目: 

国家自然科学基金 81370578

详细信息
    通讯作者:

    杜国盛, Email:duguosheng@medmail.com.cn

  • 中图分类号: R617

Research on the relationship between Foxp3+ Regulatory T cell and tumor recurrence of patients after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

More Information
  • 摘要:
      目的  探讨Foxp3+调节性T细胞(Treg)与超加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校(UCSF)标准肝细胞癌(肝癌)肝移植患者术后肿瘤复发的关系。
      方法  回顾性分析2010年1月至2013年12月在解放军第309医院全军器官移植研究所接受肝移植的24例肝癌患者的临床资料。在随访期内肿瘤复发4例(肿瘤复发组), 余20例无复发(肿瘤未复发组); 以同期健康人的血液标本为对照组。比较肿瘤复发组和肿瘤未复发组术前、术后不同时点甲胎蛋白(AFP)水平; 比较肿瘤复发组和肿瘤未复发组术前、术后不同时点及对照组的Foxp3+Treg(Foxp3+Treg%)水平; 对术前与术后Foxp3+Treg表达与AFP、CD3+和CD8+T水平的关系进行相关分析。
      结果  与术前及正常水平相比, 肿瘤未复发组患者术后Foxp3+Treg表达经历先降低后逐渐升高最终稳定于较低水平。与肿瘤未复发组患者比较, 肿瘤复发组患者的AFP和Foxp3+Treg显著升高, 明显高于术前及正常水平(均为P < 0.01), 而且在肿瘤复发组患者中Foxp3+Treg早期异常性升高先于AFP。相关性分析提示, Foxp3+Treg与AFP变化一致, 呈正相关(P < 0.01);而与效应性T细胞(CD3+T细胞、CD8+ T细胞)表达变化相反, 呈负相关(P < 0.05~0.01), 提示Foxp3+Treg与肝癌肝移植术后肿瘤的复发具有密切关系。
      结论  Foxp3+Treg与肝癌肝移植术后肿瘤复发的关系密切。超UCSF标准的肝癌肝移植患者术后Foxp3+Treg越高, 提示复发风险越大, 联合检测AFP有助于及早发现肿瘤复发。
    Abstract:
      Objective  To discuss the relationship between Foxp3+regulatory T cell(Treg) and tumor recurrence of patients after liver transplantation for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) over University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) criteria.
      Methods  Clinical data of 24 patients with HCC undergoing liver transplantation in the Organ Transplantation Research Institute of the 309th Hospital of People's Liberation Army from January 2010 to December 2013 were retrospectively studied. During the follow-up, 4 patients recurred (tumor recurrence group) and other 20 patients did not recur (tumor non-recurrence group). The blood samples of healthy people was selected as control group at the same period. The levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were compared at different time points of the recurrence group and the non-recurrent group before and after transplantation. The levels of Foxp3+Treg (Foxp3+Treg%) were compared at different time points of the tumor recurrence group, the tumor non-recurrence group and the control group before and after transplantation. The relations between expression of Foxp3+Treg and the levels of AFP, CD3+ and CD8+T before and after transplantation were analyzed by correlation analysis.
      Results  Compared with the level of Foxp3+Treg before transplantation and the normal level, the expression of Foxp3+Treg of patients in tumor non-recurrence group after transplantation firstly decreased, then gradually increased and finally stabilized at a low level. Compared with patients in tumor non-recurrence group, the levels of AFP and Foxp3+Treg of patients in tumor recurrence group increased obviously and were significantly higher than the normal levels (both in P < 0.01). Moreover, abnormal increase of Foxp3+Treg at early stage was prior to AFP among the patients in tumor recurrence group. Correlation analysis indicated that the change of Foxp3+Treg was consistent with the changes of AFP, which was positively correlated (P < 0.01). But the change of Foxp3+Treg was contrary to the change of effector T cells (CD3+T cells and CD8+ T cells), which was negatively correlated (P < 0.05-0.01). It indicated that Foxp3+Treg was closely associated with tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for HCC.
      Conclusions  Foxp3+Treg is closely associated with tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for HCC. In the patients after liver transplantation for HCC over UCSF criteria, the higher Foxp3+Treg is, the higher the recurrence risk is. Joint detection of AFP is beneficial to find tumor recurrence.
  • 大量研究提示,高水平表达Foxp3的调节性T细胞(Treg)与肝细胞癌(肝癌)的发生、复发及临床预后有密切的关系[1-2]。Treg与效应性T细胞间的平衡决定机体对肿瘤的免疫反应,而Treg可通过直接或间接抑制作用[3-4],影响效应性T细胞的表达[3-6],从而打乱两者间的稳态,最终影响机体对肿瘤细胞及抗原的监视、提呈及杀伤作用。截止至目前为止,关于Treg与肝癌患者预后,在肝癌切除及介入治疗中的研究较多,但其与肝癌肝移植患者术后肿瘤复发关系却鲜有研究,亦无见证实两者关系的研究报道。为此,本研究分析Foxp3+Treg与肝癌肝移植患者术后肿瘤复发的关系,以供同行参考。

    选取2010年1月至2013年12月在解放军第309医院全军器官移植研究所接受肝移植的24例肝癌患者作为研究对象,以超利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校(University of California, San Francisco,UCSF)标准为入组标准,所有患者均知情同意。其中男22例,女2例,平均年龄(53±8)岁,术前甲胎蛋白(AFP)均超过400 μg/L。所有患者术后病理证实为肝癌。以同期在该院体检中心健康人的血液标本作为对照组。

    收集肝癌肝移植受者术前及术后各阶段的血液标本,以流式细胞技术分析Treg以及T细胞各亚群的比例。

    每例肝癌肝移植受者取外周血300 μl,等分为两份,分别标记为Foxp3+Treg组(A组)和分类组(B组)。A组加入CD4、CD25单克隆抗体各5 μl,B组加入CD3、CD8单克隆抗体5 μl,孵育16 min;接着,A、B组加磷酸盐缓冲液(PBS)134.2×g离心8 min清洗,重悬,B组等待检测。A组继续以下操作:加溶血素1 ml,低温孵育15 min,134.2×g离心8 min清洗;加预先配制(1:3)破膜液1 ml孵育60 min,134.2×g离心8 min清洗;后加低温PBS清洗1次,加1倍Buffer清洗1次;加Foxp3单克隆抗体5 μl,孵育23 min,清洗、重悬,待检测。采用流式细胞技术检测两组细胞。

    24例患者术后均康复出院,术后即开始随访,截止日期为2015年5月,随访时间为20~58个月,中位随访时间33个月。根据随访期间有否肿瘤复发分为肿瘤复发组和肿瘤未复发组。

    观察内容:(1)肝癌肝移植患者术后肿瘤复发情况;(2)肝癌肝移植患者的AFP的变化趋势,比较肿瘤复发组和肿瘤未复发组术前、术后不同时点AFP;(3)肝癌肝移植患者的Foxp3+Treg的变化趋势,比较肿瘤复发组和肿瘤未复发组术前、术后不同时点及对照组的Foxp3+Treg(Foxp3+Treg%)水平;(4)术前与术后Foxp3+Treg水平与AFP、CD3+和CD8+T水平的关系,采用相关分析验证。

    采用SPSS 13.0进行数据分析。计量资料以均数±标准差表示,两组间比较采用t检验,多组间比较采用方差分析。计数资料采用χ2检验。采用Spearman秩相关分析两者的相关性。P<0.05为差异具有统计学意义。

    术后随访期间,24例患者中肿瘤复发4例(肿瘤复发组),复发时间为术后12~24个月,余20例患者未发现肿瘤复发(肿瘤未复发组)。

    肝癌未复发组患者术前及术后1年、3年血清AFP分别为(1 199±499)μg/L、(13±10)μg/L、(11±4)μg/L,比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.001);与术前比较,患者术后1年及术后3年的AFP水平明显减低(均为P<0.01)。

    肝癌复发组患者的AFP变化趋势见图 1。患者术后早期维持在正常水平,肿瘤复发时AFP水平明显高于正常水平。

    图  1  肝癌肝移植术后肿瘤复发患者甲胎蛋白的变化趋势
    Figure  1.  The changes of AFP of patients with tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

    肝癌肝移植患者术前Foxp3+Treg为(1.92±0.88)%,术后(0.28±0.15)%,对照组为(0.74±0.19)%。肝癌肝移植患者Foxp3+Treg术后表达水平明显低于术前(P<0.01),而在肿瘤复发患者Foxp3+Treg明显高于未复发者及正常水平(P<0.01)。

    肿瘤复发患者,Foxp3+Treg表达再次升高,与术前表达一致,且明显高于未复发患者;经治疗后,Foxp3+Treg逐渐下降,且与AFP的变化一致(图 2A)。

    图  2  两组患者肝移植术后Foxp3+调节性T细胞的表达变化
    A图为肿瘤复发组,B图为肿瘤未复发组
    Figure  2.  The changes of Foxp3+Treg of patients in two groups after liver transplantation

    对生存时间超过3年且未出现肿瘤复发的患者术后Foxp3+Treg表达进行分析发现,肝癌患者手术前Foxp3+Treg高水平表达,至术后24周,经历先下降后逐渐升高的变化趋势,而至术后48周逐渐降低,并维持在较低水平(图 2B)。

    相关分析发现,肝癌肝移植患者术前和术后的Foxp3+Treg均与AFP呈正相关(均为P<0.05);相反,术前和术后的Foxp3+Treg与CD3+T细胞、CD4+T细胞、CD8+T细胞水平均呈负相关关系(均为P<0.05,表 1)。

    表  1  肝癌肝移植患者的调节性T细胞与甲胎蛋白、效应性T细胞的关系
    Table  1.  The relationship between Treg and AFP, effective T cell of patients after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma
    指标 APF CD3+T细胞 CD8+T细胞
    r P r P r P
    术前Foxp3+Treg 0.52 0.010 -0.73 < 0.001 -0.78 < 0.001
    术后Foxp3+Treg 0.53 0.014 -0.52 0.015 -0.56 0.009
    下载: 导出CSV 
    | 显示表格

    4例肿瘤复发患者经过治疗后缓解2例,肿瘤无进展1例,死亡1例。

    AFP是诊断肝癌灵敏的肿瘤标志物,常作为肝癌术后常规监测指标。本研究观察肝癌未复发组患者的AFP变化,发现与术前比较,患者术后1年及术后3年的AFP水平明显减低(均为P<0.01)。本研究还观察肝癌复发组患者的AFP变化趋势,发现其术后早期维持在正常水平,肿瘤复发时AFP水平明显高于正常水平。可见,AFP与肝瘤的发生、发展有着密切关系。

    Foxp3+Treg除具有免疫调节功能外[7],同时具有促进肿瘤细胞生长增殖的双重功能[8],可抑制CD4+和CD8+效应性T细胞的活化、增殖及细胞因子的分泌[9-11],通过削弱机体抗肿瘤免疫力或自体对肿瘤细胞抗原的无应答,使肿瘤细胞逃避机体的免疫监视[12-14],促进肿瘤的生长和增殖[8, 15-17]。在本研究中,与术前及正常水平相比,无肿瘤复发的肝癌肝移植患者术后Foxp3+Treg表达经历先降低后逐渐升高最终稳定于较低水平。与肿瘤未复发患者比较,复发患者的AFP和Foxp3+Treg显著升高,明显高于正常水平(均为P<0.01),而且在肿瘤复发患者中Foxp3+Treg早期异常性升高先于AFP,能更早预示肿瘤的复发。

    肝癌肝移植术后患者血清AFP水平短期内可降低至正常或接近正常水平,在肿瘤复发时再次升高,同时对Foxp3+Treg表达与AFP、CD3+和CD8+T细胞术前、术后水平的关系进行相关分析发现,Foxp3+Treg与AFP变化一致,呈正相关(P<0.01);而与效应性T细胞(CD3+T细胞、CD8+ T细胞)表达变化相反,呈负相关(P<0.05~0.01),因而我们认为Foxp3+Treg变化直接影响机体细胞免疫功能,并可以通过联合检测AFP和Foxp3+Treg变化,来预测肿瘤的复发。

    综上分析,Foxp3+Treg与肝癌肝移植术后肿瘤的复发关系密切。超UCSF标准的肝癌肝移植患者术后Foxp3+Treg越高,提示复发风险越大,联合检测AFP有助于及早发现肿瘤的复发。本研究属回顾性的队列研究,样本量有限,观察随访时间亦稍短,仍有待于进一步扩大样本、延长时间,并进行多中心、随机对照试验加以证实Foxp3+Treg对效应性T细胞的抑制作用机制。

  • 图  1   肝癌肝移植术后肿瘤复发患者甲胎蛋白的变化趋势

    Figure  1.   The changes of AFP of patients with tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

    图  2   两组患者肝移植术后Foxp3+调节性T细胞的表达变化

    A图为肿瘤复发组,B图为肿瘤未复发组

    Figure  2.   The changes of Foxp3+Treg of patients in two groups after liver transplantation

    表  1   肝癌肝移植患者的调节性T细胞与甲胎蛋白、效应性T细胞的关系

    Table  1   The relationship between Treg and AFP, effective T cell of patients after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

    指标 APF CD3+T细胞 CD8+T细胞
    r P r P r P
    术前Foxp3+Treg 0.52 0.010 -0.73 < 0.001 -0.78 < 0.001
    术后Foxp3+Treg 0.53 0.014 -0.52 0.015 -0.56 0.009
    下载: 导出CSV
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  • 收稿日期:  2015-06-27
  • 网络出版日期:  2021-04-28
  • 发布日期:  2015-08-31

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