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Regulatory T cells and other lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with melanoma developing interferon‐induced thyroiditis during high‐dose interferon‐α2b treatment
Author(s) -
Soldevila Berta,
Alonso Núria,
MartínezArconada Maria J.,
Granada Maria L.,
Boada Aram,
Vallejos Virginia,
Fraile Manuel,
FernándezSanmartín Marco A.,
PujolBorrell Ricardo,
PuigDomingo Manel,
Sanmartí Anna,
MartínezCáceres Eva M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/cen.12036
Subject(s) - alpha interferon , medicine , melanoma , immunology , interferon , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , thyroiditis , interferon alfa , immunotherapy , lymphocyte , interferon gamma , context (archaeology) , cytokine , immune system , endocrinology , biology , cancer research , thyroid , in vitro , paleontology , biochemistry
Summary Context One of the side effects of interferon‐alpha therapy is interferon‐induced thyroiditis ( IIT ). The role of lymphocyte subpopulations in IIT melanoma patients remains to be defined. Objective Our objective was to assess different peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations, mainly regulatory T cells ( T regs), in melanoma patients who developed IIT . Design, patients and methods From 30 melanoma patients receiving high‐dose interferon ( HDI )‐alpha 2b ( IFN ‐α2b) treatment, those who developed IIT ( IIT patients) were selected and compared with patients who did not develop IIT (Co‐ MM ) and healthy controls (Co‐ H ). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained before treatment ( BT ), mid‐treatment ( MT ), end of treatment ( ET ), 24 weeks post‐treatment and at appearance of IIT ( TT ). Results Nine patients developed IIT (30%): four Hashimoto's thyroiditis and five destructive thyroiditis. An increase in Tregs was observed in both melanoma groups during HDI treatment. A decrease in CD 3 + , NKT lymphocyte subpopulations and B cl2 expression on B cells was also observed in both groups. However, no changes were observed in the percentage of CD 4 + , CD 8 + , CD 3 + γδ + , CD 19 + , transitional B cells ( CD 24 high CD 38 high CD 19 + CD 27 − ), natural killer ( NK ), invariant NKT ( iNKT ) lymphocytes and T h1/ T h2 balance when BT was compared with ET . At TT , IIT patients had a higher T regs percentage than C o‐ MM ( P = 0·012) and Co‐ H ( P = 0·004), a higher iNKT percentage than Co‐ MM ( P = 0·011), a higher transitional B cells percentage than Co‐ H ( P = 0·015), a lower CD 3 + percentage than Co‐ H ( P = 0·001) and a lower B cl2 expression on B cells than Co‐ H ( P < 0·001). Conclusions Our results point to the immunomodulatory effects of IFN ‐α on different lymphocyte subpopulations and a possible role of T regs in melanoma patients who developed IIT .