Value of Regulatory T Cell in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver, representing the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. It is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in men and the sixth among women.
Objectives: To investigate the role of CD4+, CD25+, FOXp3+Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in patients with HCC and their correlation with the prognosis.
Patients and Methods: The study was conducted on 25 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Detection of regulatory T cells by flow cytometry using CD4, CD25 and FOXp3 before and after intervention.
Results: CD4 significantly increased but CD4/CD25, Foxp3, AFP, ALT and AST significantly decreased. Patients with high numbers of FOXp3+ cells and those with higher FOXp3+ Tregs /CD4+ T cell ratio had poorer overall survival rates.
Conclusion: Tregs seem to be a promising prognostic factor in patients with HCC and a high Tregs level has been reported to be correlated with poor outcomes in a number of publications.