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. 2003 Jul;52(7):423-8.
doi: 10.1007/s00262-003-0388-5. Epub 2003 Apr 15.

Prognostic value of the CD4+/CD8+ ratio of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes in colorectal cancer and HLA-DR expression on tumour cells

Axel C P Diederichsen  1 , J v B Hjelmborg, Per B Christensen, Jesper Zeuthen, Claus Fenger
Affiliations

Prognostic value of the CD4+/CD8+ ratio of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes in colorectal cancer and HLA-DR expression on tumour cells

Axel C P Diederichsen et al. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2003 Jul.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify whether HLA-DR expression of colorectal tumour cells or the CD4+/CD8+ ratio of the tumour infiltrating lymphocytes is significantly associated with the prognosis of colorectal cancer. Using flow cytometry, we studied the tumour cell expression of the HLA class II in 70 enzymatically dissociated colorectal cancers and the phenotype of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in 41 cases. There was no trend in 5-year survival between three levels (low, medium, high) of HLA-DR expression on the tumour cells. Patients with low CD4+/CD8+ ratios had a better clinical course, with significantly higher 5-year survival, p=0.046, independent of the Dukes stage and age. Our results have implications for tumour immunology; colorectal cancer cells might be a target for cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, however the tumour cells are not able to initiate an immune response. Stimulation of the immune system could possible be obtained using dendritic cells cultured in vitro and loaded with tumour antigens.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Survival curves for patients with different levels of HLA-DR expression on the tumour cells: (solid line) less than 25% tumour cells expressed HLA-DR, n=24; (dashed line) between 25% and 40% tumour cells expressed HLA-DR, n=22, (dotted line) more than 40% of the tumour cells expressed HLA-DR, n=24
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Survival curves for patients with different CD4+/CD8+ ratios of the tumour infiltrating lymphocytes: (solid line) CD4+/CD8+ ratio >2.0, n=18, (dashed line) CD4+/CD8+ ratio >2.0, n=23
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