The Clinical Relationship between Presence of Peripheral Blood Regulatory T Cells and Hepatocellular Carcinoma and the Influence of Liver Resection on the Presence of Regulatory T Cells

Objective:To evaluate the presence,clinical significance of the peripheral blood regulatory T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) patients and study the influence of liver cancer resection on the presence of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells.Methods:By flow cytometry,the presences of peripheral regulatory T cell subsets in HCC patients and healthy donors were evaluated.The relationship between the presence of regulatory subsets and HCC clinicopathologic characteristics and TNM stages were analyzed.The dynamic presences of peripheral CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells before and after liver cancer resection were also studied.Results:The percentages of peripheral blood CD4+CD25+Foxp3+,CD4+Foxp3+ and CD4+CD25+ T cells of HCC patients were significantly higher than those of the healthy donors.The percentages of peripheral regulatory T lymphocyte subsets significantly correlated with tumor number,vascular invasion and TNM stages respectively.The frequency of peripheral regulatory T cells on the first day after liver cancer resection were significantly lower than that before operation.The presence of regulatory T cells reached its climax one week after operation.Conclusion:The presences of regulatory T lymphocyte subsets in HCC patients were significantly elevated.The peripheral regulatory T cells may play a role predominantly in the early stage of HCC progression.Liver cancer resection might reduce the peripheral tumour-related CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells.