Effects of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy on the frequency and function of regulatory T cells in patients with head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: Regulatory T cells (Treg) accumulate in tumor tissues and the peripheral blood of cancer patients and may persist after therapies. This cross-sectional study examines effects of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on Treg numbers and function in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The frequency and absolute numbers of CD4(+), ATP-hydrolyzing CD4(+)CD39(+) and CD8(+) T cells, and expression levels of CD39, CD25, TGF-β-associated LAP and GARP on Treg were measured by flow cytometry in 40 healthy donors (NC) and 71 HNSCC patients [29 untreated with active disease (AD); 22 treated with surgery; 20 treated with CRT]. All treated subjects had no evident disease (NED) at the time of phlebotomy. In an additional cohort of 40 subjects with AD (n = 15), NED (n = 10), and NC (n = 15), in vitro sensitivity of CD4(+) T-cell subsets to cisplatin and activation-induced cell death (AICD) was tested in Annexin V-binding assays.

RESULTS: CRT decreased the frequency of circulating CD4(+) T cells (P < 0.002) but increased that of CD4(+)CD39(+) Treg (P ≤ 0.001) compared with untreated or surgery-only patients. Treg frequency remained elevated for >3 years. CRT increased surface expression of LAP, GARP, and CD39 on Treg. In vitro Treg were resistant to AICD or cisplatin but conventional CD4(+) T cells (Tconv) were not. CRT-induced Treg from AD or NC subjects upregulated prosurvival proteins whereas Tconv upregulated proapoptotic Bax.

CONCLUSIONS: Highly suppressive, cisplatin-resistant Treg increase in frequency and persist after CRT and could be responsible for suppression of antitumor immune responses and recurrence in HNSCC.