Lymphocytes In Tumor-Draining Lymph Nodes Research Articles

A Novel Method Using Fine Needle Aspiration from Tumor-Draining Lymph Nodes Could Enable the Discovery of New Prognostic Markers in Patients with Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Cutaneous squamous cell cancer (cSCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer, characterized by abnormal, accelerated growth of squamous cells. When caught early, most cSCCs are curable. About 5 percent of the cSCC cases have advanced to such an extent, generally metastatic, that they are far more dangerous, with very poor prognosis and challenging to treat. All efforts to find biomarkers, in blood or in the tumor itself, for early identification of patients with a risk for metastasis have so far failed. The present study describes a novel method that enables the identification of lymphocyte markers in tumor-draining lymph nodes. Six patients with advanced cSCC were analyzed using a combination of a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) protocol, fine needle aspiration (FNA), and flow cytometry. Immunological results from the sentinel nodes were combined with corresponding data from peripheral blood and unfixed tumor tissues. The result demonstrates a striking difference between the subsets of T-cells from the three compartments. Our interpretation of this first pilot study is that the ability to follow specific immunological markers on lymphocytes in tumor-draining lymph nodes will enable the identification of novel prognostic biomarkers not detectable in material from blood and tumor tissues.

IFNγ-IL-17-IL-22+CD4+ subset and IL-22-producing cells in tumor draining lymph nodes of patients with breast cancer.

A recently introduced CD4+ T subset that mainly secretes interleukin (IL-) 22 has been reported to be associated with a variety of tumors, including colon, gastric, hepatocellular, and small- and large-cell lung carcinoma. Both tumor-promoting and - suppressing roles have been suggested for these cells. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the frequency of IL-22-producing subsets in tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) of the patients with breast cancer and determine their association with the clinicopathological characterizations of the disease. Thirty untreated women diagnosed with breast cancer were enrolled and their axillary lymph nodes were dissected during surgery. Mononuclear cells were isolated using Ficoll density gradient, activated, permeabilized, and stained by fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies against CD4, IL-22, IL-17, and IFNγ. The cells were then acquired on the FACSCalibur flow cytometer, and raw data was analyzed by the FlowJo software package (V10). Our results demonstrated that 2.39% ± 0.39 of CD4+ lymphocytes in TDLNs of patients with breast cancer produced IL-22. Among them, 0.64% ± 0.8 just produced IL-22 but were negative for IFNγ and IL-17. Statistical analysis indicated that the frequency of CD4+IL-22+ cells was significantly higher in the patients with stageIII and the ones with 3-9 tumor involved lymph nodes (N2) compared to those with stageII and those having 1-3 tumor involved lymph nodes (N1) (P =0.008 and P =0.004, respectively). The higher frequency of IL-22-producing cells in draining lymph nodes of patients with more advanced tumors (higher stage (stageIII) and more involved lymph nodes) suggests a role for IL-22-producing cells in the tumor progression and invasion. However, further studies with larger sample size and more functional studies are needed to clarify the role of IL-22-producing cells in breast cancer pathogenesis.

Lymphocytes in tumor-draining lymph nodes co-cultured with autologous tumor cells for adoptive cell therapy

BackgroundTumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) are primary sites, where anti-tumor lymphocytes are primed to tumor-specific antigens and play pivotal roles in immune responses against tumors. Although adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using lymphocytes isolated from TDLNs were reported, characterization of immune activity of lymphocytes in TDLNs to tumor cells was not comprehensively performed. Here, we demonstrate TDLNs to have very high potential as cell sources for immunotherapy.MethodsLymphocytes from TDLNs resected during surgical operation were cultured with autologous-tumor cells for 2 weeks and evaluated tumor-reactivity by IFNγ ELISPOT assay. We investigated the commonality of T cell receptor (TCR) clonotypes expanded by the co-culture with tumor cells with those of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).ResultsWe found that that TCR clonotypes of PD-1-expressing CD8+ T cells in lymph nodes commonly shared with those of TILs in primary tumors and lymphocytes having tumor-reactivity and TCR clonotypes shared with TILs could be induced from non-metastatic lymph nodes when they were co-cultured with autologous tumor cells.ConclusionOur results imply that tumor-reactive effector T cells were present even in pathologically non-metastatic lymph nodes and could be expanded in vitro in the presence of autologous tumor cells and possibly be applied for ACT.

GM-CSF-producing lymphocytes in tumor-draining lymph nodes of patients with bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer (BC) is the tenth common cancer worldwide. Despite progress in treatment and the use of chemotherapoeutic drugs, the survival rate of BC patients is still low. Manipulation of the immune system was recently introduced as an interesting alternative treatment for this immunogenic cancer with fewer side effects. Accordingly, in the present study, we assessed the frequency of GM-CSF-producing lymphocytes in tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) of BC patients and evaluated their relationship with clinicopathological factors and survival rate. Fifty-four patients with BC who had received no treatment were recruited. Mononuclear cells were isolated from fresh homogenized lymph nodes by centrifugation over Ficoll-Hypaque, activated and subsequently analyzed by flow cytometry for the cell surface expression of CD4 and CD8 and the intracellular production of GM-CSF. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that 4.97 ± 2.7% of lymphocytes in TDLNs of patients with BC produced GM-CSF. The mean frequency of GM-CSF-producing cells was 5.5% among CD4+ lymphocytes and 11.7% in the CD8+ population. Elevated frequencies of GM-CSF-producing lymphocytes, as well as a higher production of GM-CSF by CD4+ lymphocytes was observed in the patients with tumor-free lymph nodes, as compared to those with at least one tumor-infiltrated lymph node (p <0.05). On the other hand, the lower frequency of GM-CSF-producing CD4+ lymphocytes (ThGM) was associated with improved overall, but not one-year, survival. No other significant relationship was observed between clinicopathological parameters and the frequency of GM-CSF-producing subsets. Collectively, our findings suggest a protective role for GM-CSF in the early stages of BC; however, the unfavorable association of ThGM frequency with survival rate may imply a more complex role for this cytokine in BC.

CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in sentinel nodes exhibit distinct pattern of PD-1, CD69, and HLA-DR expression compared to tumor tissue in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Anticancer immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer management, yet the effect of systemic anti‐programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) treatment is predominantly studied in tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Its impact on PD‐1 expressing cells in tumor‐draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) is not well understood and yet to be explored. Thus, further research aiming for better understanding of the PD‐1 pathway not only in tumor tissue but also in TDLNs is warranted. In this study, we investigated the expression of PD‐1, CD69, and HLA‐DR on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells by flow cytometry analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), TDLNs, and tumor samples from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Our data showed that both helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes in OSCC tissue were highly activated and expressed high level of PD‐1 (over 70% positivity). Lymphocytes in TDLNs and peripheral blood expressed significantly lower levels of PD‐1 and other activation markers compared to TILs. Moreover, we demonstrated that a significant fraction of PD‐1 negative TILs expressed high levels of human leukocyte antigen – DR isotype and CD69. In contrast, PD‐1 negative cells in TDLNs and PBMCs scarcely expressed the aforementioned activation markers. Furthermore, we proved that patients with a high percentage of CD3+ PD‐1+ cells in tumor‐draining lymph nodes had significantly lower disease‐free and overall survival rates (log‐rank test P = .0272 and P = .0276, respectively). Taken together, we proved that flow cytometry of lymph nodes in OSCC is feasible and may be used to investigate whether PD‐1 levels in TDLNs correspond with survival and potentially with response to anti‐PD‐1 therapy. Such knowledge may ultimately help guide anti‐PD‐1 treatment.

Expression of TNFRs by B and T Lymphocytes in Tumor-Draining Lymph Nodes.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) has crucial roles in the induction or inhibition of various biological activitiesin immune and nonimmune cells. This cytokine mainly exerts its effects via two receptors named TNFR1 (CD120a) and TNFR2 (CD120b). BothB and T cells express TNFRs; however, opposing roles have been reported for TNF-α in theadaptive immunity. Lymph nodes (LNs), as thesecondary lymphoid organs, areone of the major places for the formation of immune responses against cancer. In this chapter, we explain the procedure as to how to isolate mononuclear cells from tumor-draining lymph nodes. In addition, we describethe process of surface staining with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies for the assessment of the TNFRs expression by CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, and CD19+ lymphocytes by flow cytometry.

Significance of TIM-3 expression by CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in tumor-draining lymph nodes from patients with breast cancer

T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (TIM-3), which is expressed by immune and nonimmune cells, has been shown to play immunoregulatory roles in the tumor microenvironment. In this study we assessed the expression of TIM-3 by T cells from tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) of patients with breast cancer and its association with disease progression. Lymphocytes were isolated from 41 TDLNs, and flow cytometry was used to determine the expression of TIM-3 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, along with the simultaneous expression of CD25, Foxp3 and TIM-3 in CD4+ T cells. The results showed that the frequency of TIM-3+CD8+ T cells was associated with higher tumor grade, and the geometric mean fluorescence intensity (gMFI) of TIM-3 in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in patients with more than 9 involved lymph nodes than those with fewer involved nodes. The gMFI of TIM3 in CD4+ T cells also showed a direct correlation with the number of metastatic lymph nodes. Phenotypic characterization of TIM-3+CD4+ T cells showed that the majority of CD4+TIM3+ lymphocytes were Foxp3 ̶ CD25 ̶, and the majority of Foxp3+CD25+ regulatory T cells were TIM-3−. Our findings showed that TIM-3 was expressed by CD4+, CD8+ and regulatory T cells in breast TDLNs, and that expression on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was mostly associated with poor prognosticators such as a higher number of involved lymph nodes or higher tumor grade. More studies are required to confirm TIM-3 as a prognostic marker and a target for immunotherapy in breast cancer.

Atypical Memory and Regulatory B Cell Subsets in Tumor Draining Lymph Nodes of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Correlate with Good Prognostic Factors.

Research on the role of B cells in the development and modulation of antitumor immunity has increased in recent years; however, knowledge about B cell phenotype and function in tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) is still incomplete. This study aimed to investigate changes in the phenotypic profile of B cells in TDLNs of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) during disease progression. Mononuclear cells were isolated from TDLNs and stained with antibodies for CD19 and other B cell-related markers and analyzed by flow cytometry. CD19+ B cells comprised 38.6 ± 8.9% of lymphocytes in TDLNs of HNSCC. Comparison of metastatic and non-metastatic LNs disclosed no significant differences in the frequencies of B cell subsets including antigen-experienced, naïve, switched, unswitched, atypical memory, marginal zone-like B cells, and B cells with regulatory phenotypes. The percentage of atypical memory (CD27-IgM-IgD-) B cells was significantly higher in patients with tongue SCC with no involved LNs (p = 0.033) and correlated inversely with the number of involved LNs. The frequency of CD24hiCD38hi B cells was significantly higher in non-metastatic LNs of patients with grade I compared to grade II (p = 0.016), and the percentage of CD5+ B cells decreased as tumors progressed from stage III to IV (p = 0.008). Our data show that in TDLNs of HNSCC, the frequency of B cells with atypical memory and regulatory phenotypes was significantly associated with good prognostic factors; however, their function remains to be investigated.

IL-17 and IL-4 producing CD8+ T cells in tumor draining lymph nodes of breast cancer patients: positive association with tumor progression.

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes have been recently divided based on their cytokine expression profile. To evaluate the percentages of CD8+ lymphocytes and their effector subsets including Tc1, Tc2 and Tc17 in the tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) of patients with breast cancer. Single cell suspensions were obtained from TDLNs of 42 patients with breast cancer. Staining of the cell surface markers and intracellular cytokines was performed using appropriate fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies. The data was acquired on a four-color flow cytometer and was analyzed by CellQuestPro software package. The percentages of different CD8+ cell subtypes (Tc1, Tc2 and Tc17) were quantified in CD8+ T lymphocytes. The comparison was made between LN+ versus LN- patients, as well as patients in different clinico-pathological status. The percentage of Tc1, Tc2 and Tc17 subsets were not significantly different between LN+ and LN- patients. Despite no difference in the percentages of Tc1 cells in LN+ patients with infiltrative ductal carcinoma (IDC), the mean expression of IFN-γ by Tc1 cells decreased significantly in comparison to LN- patients. On the other hand, the percentages of Tc2 and Tc17 effector subsets were increased in advanced stages (p=0.018 and p=0.009, respectively). As the first study to investigate various effector subtypes of CD8+ lymphocytes in TDLNs of patients with breast cancer, our data collectively suggests a positive association between IL-17- and IL-4-producing CD8+ T cell percentages (Tc2 and Tc17) in TDLNs with breast cancer progression. Although the number of Tc1 cells seems not to be affected by cancer progression, down-regulation of IFN-γ by these cells seems to be associated with tumor metastasis to TDLNs. These findings may have implications in cancer immunotherapy based on CD8+ effector subsets.

Preparative Hepatic Irradiation (HIR) for Transplantation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-Derived Hepatocyte-Like Cells (iHep) in Mouse Livers

anecdotal data suggest an interaction between checkpoint blockade and radiation therapy (RT). Using a murine model of melanoma, we tested the hypothesis that RT alters immune checkpoint ligand expression on tumor cells, and modulates immune checkpoint expression on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Materials/Methods: The B16 melanoma cell line was maintained in DMEM + 10% FBS. Two times 10 B16 cells were injected SQ into C57BL/6 mice. Tumors were treated to 10 Gy x 1 using a small animal irradiator (SARRP). In some studies mice were treated with PD-1 antibody blockade (10 mg/kg). Tumors were harvested following treatment and TIL were isolated for flow cytometry. Results: Splenic and tumor-draining lymph node lymphocytes did not express PD-1, TIM-3, or LAG-3; however, TIL upregulated PD-1, TIM-3, and LAG-3 (p< 0.05). RT resulted in an obvious increase in CD8 TIL (p< 0.05); in addition, RT increased the proportion of CD8 TIL expressing TNF-a and IFN-g (p < 0.05), consistent with activation. However, a high proportion (50-80%) of TIL continued to express the negative regulatory checkpoint proteins PD-1 and TIM-3. Interestingly, LAG-3 expression was significantly decreased post-RT (p Z 0.05). B16 melanoma expressed the checkpoint ligand PD-L1, and RT (in vitro) further increased expression 24-48 hr post-RT (p < 0.05). When mice received PD-1 blockade, RT, or combined therapy, significant tumor growth inhibition occurred: PD-1 blockade 45 16%; RT 33 6%; combined therapy 22 5% (p < 0.05). PD-1 blockade as single-therapy failed to significantly increase tumor infiltration of lymphocytes, whereas combined PD-1 blockade with RT resulted in increased TIL compared to PD-1 blockade or no treatment (p < 0.05). However, with combined therapy, TIL expressed TIM-3 and PD-1 in high frequency (30-60%), and LAG-3 to a lesser extent (10%). Conclusions: RT-mediated lymphocyte migration to the tumor microenvironment resulted in upregulation of the negative regulatory checkpoint molecules PD-1, TIM-3, and LAG-3. RT + PD-1 blockade increased TIL, but with continued expression of negative checkpoints. Additionally, RT upregulated PD-L1 on tumor cells. These data provide a rationale for combining RT with the blockade of multiple checkpoints simultaneously, especially PD-1/PD-L1. Author Disclosure: T.J. Harris: None. C. Jackson: None. N. Gandhi: None. P. Tran: None. C.G. Drake: G. Consultant; Bristol-Myers Squibb in the past.

Phenotype, functions and fate of adoptively transferred tumor draining lymphocytes activated ex vivo in mice with an aggressive weakly immunogenic mammary carcinoma

BackgroundRegression of established tumors can be induced by adoptive immunotherapy with tumor draining lymph node lymphocytes activated with bryostatin and ionomycin. We hypothesized that tumor regression is mediated by a subset of the transferred T lymphocytes, which selectively infiltrate the tumor draining lymph nodes and proliferate in vivo.ResultsAdoptive transfer of B/I activated tumor draining lymphocytes induces regression of advanced 4T1 tumors, and depletion of CD8, but not CD4 T cells, abrogated tumor regression in mice. The predominant mediators of tumor regression are CD8+ and derived from CD62L- T cells. Transferred lymphocytes reached their peak concentration (10.5%) in the spleen 3 days after adoptive transfer and then rapidly declined. Adoptively transferred cells preferentially migrated to and/or proliferated in the tumor draining lymph nodes, peaking at day 5 (10.3%) and remained up to day 28. CFSE-stained cells were seen in tumors, also peaking at day 5 (2.1%). Bryostatin and ionomycin-activated cells proliferated vigorously in vivo, with 10 generations evident in the tumor draining lymph nodes on day 3. CFSE-stained cells found in the tumor draining lymph nodes on day 3 were 30% CD8+, 72% CD4+, 95% CD44+, and 39% CD69+. Pre-treatment of recipient mice with cyclophosphamide dramatically increased the number of interferon-gamma producing cells.ConclusionsAdoptively transferred CD8+ CD62Llow T cells are the principal mediators of tumor regression, and host T cells are not required. These cells infiltrate 4T1 tumors, track preferentially to tumor draining lymph nodes, have an activated phenotype, and proliferate in vivo. Cyclophosphamide pre-treatment augments the anti-tumor effect by increasing the proliferation of interferon-gamma producing cells in the adoptive host.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Th1 and Th2 L-selectin??? CD4+ Tumor-Reactive T Cells

To evaluate the cytokine secretion profile and therapeutic efficacy of Th1 CD4+ L-selectin-tumor-draining lymph node lymphocytes in the treatment of murine pulmonary metastases. Prospective, murine in vivo and in vitro study. B6 mice were injected bilaterally subcutaneously with MCA 205 sarcoma cells to initiate tumor growth. Eleven days later, tumor-draining inguinal lymph nodes were harvested. Single-cell suspensions were prepared and fractionated using magnetically activated cell sorting. Sorted CD4+ L-selectin-lymphocytes were activated with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody for 48 hours either alone to give a Th1 phenotype, or in the presence of interleukin (IL)-4 and anti-interferon-gamma (alpha-IFN-gamma) monoclonal antibody to elicit a Th2 phenotype. Activated cells were then expanded for 3 days in IL-2. Resulting cells were used to treat 3-day pulmonary metastases. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and intracellular fluorescent-activated cell-sorter (FACS) scanning were used to evaluate the cytokine secretion profiles of these cells. Activated and expanded L-selectin- CD4+ T cells demonstrated a Th1 cytokine profile and excellent antitumor efficacy. In contrast, L-selectin- CD4+ lymphocytes activated in the presence of IL-4 and alpha-IFN-gamma monoclonal antibody demonstrated a Th2-like profile and significantly (P < .05) poorer antitumor efficacy. The cytokine environment during the activation of tumor-draining lymph nodes can influence the therapeutic efficacy of activated L-selectin-, CD4+ T cells. Cell mediated, Th1-dependent immunity appears to play an important role in mediating tumor regression. Culture conditions promoting Th2 cells resulted in T cells associated with diminished antitumor efficacy.

Immunological Characterization of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Tumor Draining Lymph Node Lymphocytes in Human Cervical Cancer

Immunological Characterization of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Tumor Draining Lymph Node Lymphocytes in Human Cervical Cancer