Influence of gender and age of patients with oral mucosa cancer on the phenotype of systemic and local immunity

Abstract

Background. The incidence of oral mucosa cancer (OMC) is higher in people over 50 years of age, and the aggressiveness of the course of the disease is higher in people under 50 years of age. In this context, it is of interest to clarify the mechanisms of immune disorders characteristic of patients of different age groups.Aim. To research systemic and local immunity in OMC patients and the relationship of peripheral blood lymphocyte population (PBLs) and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) with the patient’s sex and age.Materials and methods. PBLs and TILs effector and suppressor populations were studied by flow cytometry in OMC patients aged 29 to 84 years.Results. The percentage of CD3-, CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+T cells, regulatory CD4+CD25+CD127low/ –(CD4Treg) and CD8+CD11b–CD28–(CD8Тreg) T lymphocytes, CD4+PD-1+ and CD8+PD-1+ T cells was increased in TILs compared to PBLs. The levels of cytotoxic CD8+CD11b+CD28– T lymphocytes, NK, CD8+Perforin+ and CD16+Perforin+ cells in TILs were lower than in PBLs. The relationship between the level of CD4Treg and other TILs and PBLs depended on the patient’s sex. Age-related changes in the levels of NK and CD8 T-cells were observed in men, and CD4Treg – in women.Conclusion. Local immunity in OMC patients is highly immunosuppressive. The sex of patients influences the relationship between CD4Treg and other populations of PBLs and TILs, as well as age-related changes in the OMC patients’ immune system. This investigation results can make a certain contribution to personalized treatment of patients with OMC, taking into account differences in systemic and local immunity and in the immune response to the tumor in patients of different sex and age.