1. CD8+CXCR5+T cells infiltrating hepatocellular carcinomas are activated and predictive of a better prognosis
- Author
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Rongpu Liang, Hui Tang, Yunhao Chen, Tianxing Dai, Yang Yang, Shu-hong Yi, Yang Li, Guihua Chen, Linsen Ye, Wei Liu, and Mengchen Shi
- Subjects
Male ,Receptors, CXCR5 ,Aging ,Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ,CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ,CXCR5 ,CD19 ,humoral immunity ,medicine ,Humans ,tumor microenvironment ,Cytotoxic T cell ,Aged ,Tumor microenvironment ,biology ,Chemistry ,Interleukins ,cytotoxic T cells ,Liver Neoplasms ,hepatocellular carcinoma ,Cell Biology ,Middle Aged ,Prognosis ,medicine.disease ,digestive system diseases ,Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ,Hepatocellular carcinoma ,Humoral immunity ,Cancer research ,biology.protein ,Female ,Infiltration (medical) ,CD8 ,Research Paper - Abstract
CD8+ T cells are thought to be the primary cytotoxic lymphocytes exerting antitumor effects. However, few studies have focused on the antitumor effects of CD8+ T cell-mediated humoral immunity or on interactions between CD8+ T cells and B cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found that the frequency of IL-21-producing CD8+CXCR5+ T cells was higher in HCC tumor tissue than in peritumoral tissue or peripheral blood from the same patients or in blood from healthy donors. Moreover, CD8+CXCR5+ T cells migrated in response to supernatants from primary HCC (HCC-SN) cells, and HCC-SN cells also powerfully induced CXCR5 expression in CD8+ T cells and IL-21 expression in CD8+CXCR5+ T cells. CD8+CXCR5+ T cells from HCC patients, but not those from healthy individuals, stimulated CD19+ B cells to differentiate into IgG-producing plasmablasts. These findings reveal that CD8+CXCR5+ T cells strongly infiltrate HCC tumors, and their infiltration is predictive of a better prognosis. Surprisingly, moreover, CD8+CXCR5+ T cells produced IL-21, which induced B cells to differentiate into IgG-producing plasmablasts and to play a key role in humoral immunity in HCC.
- Published
- 2019