Level and functional decline mechanism of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells in patients with gastric cancer

Abstract

Objective To analyze the immune response and functional features of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells in the peripheral blood of patients with gastric cancer (GC), and explore the mechanism of their functional decline. Methods The percentages and functional features of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells in the peripheral blood of GC patients were analyzed by flow cytometry. The effect of the cytokines in peripheral blood plasma obtained from GC patients on the function of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells was investigated after the mononuclear cells derived from healthy, gastric ulcer (GU) and GC patients were stimulated, and then the relationships of percentage and function of the cells with clinical stage of GC patients were analyzed. Results The percentage of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells in GC patients had no statistical difference from that of healthy individuals and GU patients (P>0.05), but the cells in GC patients showed decreased expression of INF-γ and TNF-α (P < 0.05). In addition, the plasma obtained from GC patients inhibited the expression of INF-γ and TNF-α in CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the expression levels of INF-γ and TNF-α in CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells from advanced GC patients were significantly lower than those from the patients of early stage (P < 0.05). Conclusion TGF-β1 in peripheral blood of GC patients inhibits the function of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells, and thus contributes to GC progression.

Keywords

• gastric cancer
• cd3+cd56+ nkt-like cells
• tgf-β1
• disease progression