CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Laryngorhinootologie 2019; 98(S 02): S69-S70
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1685980
Abstracts
Oncology

Changes in the immune system through Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Head and Neck and its treatment

J Döscher
1   HNO Universitätsklinik Ulm, Ulm
,
J Veit
2   HNO Universitätsklinik Mannheim, Mannheim
,
C Brunner
1   HNO Universitätsklinik Ulm, Ulm
,
U Huber
3   München Klinik Neuperlach, München
,
TK Hoffmann
1   HNO Universitätsklinik Ulm, Ulm
,
S Jeske
1   HNO Universitätsklinik Ulm, Ulm
,
P Schuler
1   HNO Universitätsklinik Ulm, Ulm
› Author Affiliations
 

Introduction:

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the head and neck is a rare and highly malignant tumor that is characterized by perineural growth and early distant metastases. It has been shown that the composition of immune cells in the peripheral blood as well as in the tumor microenvironment is critical to tumor growth and tumor control. However, little is known about the frequency and function of the relevant immune cell subsets in this entity.

Methods:

The frequency of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, regulatory T cells (Treg) and B cells and their expression levels of adenosine (ADO)-producing ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73 as well as the expression of CCR7 and PD-1 were measured by flow cytometry in a total of 11 ACC patients at different time points and 11 matched healthy donors (NC). For 3 of the 11 patients flow cytometry was also performed on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) out of fresh tumor samples.

Results:

CD4+ T cells were significantly lower in their frequencies after radiotherapy (RT), while Treg remained stable during the course of disease. Treg were more present in TIL as compared to peripheral blood. The mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of ADO-specific CD73 on B cells and the frequency of CD39+CD73+ B cells was significantly lower after RT. After recurrence or distant metastasis lower expression levels of CCR7 on B and T cells could be observed.

Conclusions:

Immunomodulation through ACC seems to be lower compared to other solid malignancies. Nevertheless, the frequency of CD4+ T cells is lower after radiotherapy while Treg remain stable, resulting in a lower CD4+/Treg ratio. This could stand for an immunosuppressive effect in the patients who received RT. Therefore, it could be beneficial treating ACC disease with combined RT and immunomodulatory drugs.



Publication History

Publication Date:
23 April 2019 (online)

© 2019. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Stuttgart · New York