Avaliação de biomarcadores imunitários e sua associação ao acometimento linfonodal em carcinoma espinocelular de cabeça e pescoço

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Progress in identifying the biological determinants that modulate tumor response to therapies offers perspectives for better therapeutic targeting. There is a need for more detailed studies of the biological mediators of head and neck cancer and their association with tumor staging.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate immune biomarkers (lymphocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes) in patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and their association with lymph node involvement.

METHOD: Flow cytometric evaluation of mononuclear cells in the peripheral blood of two groups of adult men (n = 28): 14 diagnosed with HNSCC (mouth, larynx, and hypopharynx) and 14 healthy volunteers who were not taking any medication. The cell groups studied were T lymphocytes (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+), B lymphocytes (CD19+), granulocytes (CD11a+, CD16+, CD66b+, HLA-DR), and monocytes (CD14+, CD86+), as well as the activation marker CD69.

RESULTS: In patients with HNSCC, a decrease was observed in total lymphocytes (p=0.03) and CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes (p=0.02), as well as an increase in CD3+CD4+ T lymphocytes (p<0.001) and NK 56+ cells (p=0.009), when compared to healthy volunteers. In patients with HNSCC, an increase was found in the expression of the CD69 marker in CD3+CD4+ T lymphocytes (p=0.03) and CD19+ B lymphocytes (p=0.01). With the advancement of lymph node involvement, there was a decrease in the expression of CD69 in CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes (p=0.03). Granulocytes and monocytes showed no significant changes.

CONCLUSION: Patients with advanced HNSCC show decreased total lymphocytes and CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes associated with increased CD3+CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD56+ NK cells. The expression of the activation marker CD69 was lower when in advance of lymph node involvement.