Detection of regulatory T cells, IFN-γ, TGF-β, and IL-10 in peripheral blood of patients with oral cancer before and after chemotherapy

Objective: Oral cancer refers to malignant tumor that occurs in the mouth. Immunosuppression is frequently accompanied with different stages of oral cancer. Regulatory T cell immune function and cytokines secretion are of great significance to the oral cancer immunotherapy and recovery. Patients and methods: In this study, monoclonal antibody technique and flow cytometry were used to analyze the characteristics of T lymphocyte immunity in patients with oral cancer. The levels of T lymphocyte subsets, Interferon (IFN)-γ, Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β and Interleukin (IL)-10 in peripheral blood of patients with oral cancer before and after operation or chemotherapy containing paclitaxel and cisplatin were tested. Results: The expressions of CD3, CD4, along with the ratio of CD4/CD8 in patients with oral cancer were significantly lower than that in healthy volunteers. On the contrary, the levels of CD8 and CD56 were obviously up-regulated in comparison (P<0.05). The amounts of TGF-β and IL-10 were significantly elevated in patients before surgery or chemotherapy compared with that in healthy control, whereas the treatment of surgery or chemotherapy obviously inhibited those expressions (P<0.05). However, IFN-γ level did not present a significant change before and after surgery or chemotherapy. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that immunosuppression were found in patients with oral cancer and the treatment of surgery or chemotherapy can effectively alleviate the immunosuppression, which provides academic basis of immunotherapy against immunosuppression during conventional treatment of surgery or chemotherapy.