Article
Memory T cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow of glioblastoma patients
Nachweis von Gedächtnis-T-Zellen im Blut und Knochenmark von Glioblastompatienten
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Authors
Published: | May 4, 2005 |
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Outline
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Objective
In the bone marrow of patients with mammary carcinoma an increased number of tumor-reactive memory T cells has been shown. These cells could be reactivated in vitro and therapeutically used in vivo. Aim of the present study was to analyze, whether tumor-reactive memory T cells can also be found in brain tumor patients and in which immunological compartments these cells are enriched.
Methods
By IFN-γ Elispot assay and kill assay we analyzed peripheral blood (n=31) and bone marrow (n=12) of glioblastoma patients. IFN-γ Elispot served to identify the percentage of specific memory T cells per 106 T cells in these two compartments. Kill assay was used for functional testing of tumor-cytotoxic activity of these cells in vitro.
Results
12/31 patients presented in the peripheral blood with a significantly increased number of tumor-reactive memory T cells. In 5/12 patients these cells could also be found in the bone marrow. Using bone marrow memory T cells an exemplarily performed 4 h chromium release cytotoxicity assay with cultivated tumor cells revealed a tumor specific lysis of 15.5%±2,5% of the tumor cells compared to 2.2%±1,1% in the specificity control. With memory T cells of the peripheral blood we obtained values of 7.5%±1,0% compared to 1.5%±0,8% in the specificity control.
Conclusions
Tumor-reactive memory T cells can be proven in the peripheral blood as well as in the bone marrow of glioblastoma patients and can possess tumor-toxic activity. The use of a NOD/Scid mouse model is planned for further evaluation of their therapeutical potential in vivo.