Quantification of regulatory T cells enables the identification of high-risk breast cancer patients and those at risk of late relapse.
PURPOSE: To assess the clinical significance of tumor-infiltrating FOXP3-positive regulatory T cells (TR) in breast cancer patients with long-term follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: FOXP3-positive TR were detected by immunohistochemistry with our new, extensively characterized FOXP3 monoclonal antibo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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2006
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| _version_ | 1797079924142505984 |
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| author | Bates, G Fox, S Han, C Leek, R Garcia, J Harris, A Banham, A |
| author_facet | Bates, G Fox, S Han, C Leek, R Garcia, J Harris, A Banham, A |
| author_sort | Bates, G |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | PURPOSE: To assess the clinical significance of tumor-infiltrating FOXP3-positive regulatory T cells (TR) in breast cancer patients with long-term follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: FOXP3-positive TR were detected by immunohistochemistry with our new, extensively characterized FOXP3 monoclonal antibody, 236A/E7. Numbers of FOXP3-positive lymphocytes in tissue microarray cores from pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS; n = 62), invasive breast cancer (n = 237) or from comparable areas of normal terminal duct lobular breast tissue (n = 10) were determined. A median cutoff of > or = 15 defined patients with high numbers of TR. RESULTS: TR numbers were significantly higher in in situ and invasive breast carcinomas than in normal breast; invasive tumors have significantly higher numbers than DCIS (P = .001). High numbers of FOXP3-positive TR identified patients with DCIS at increased risk of relapse (P = .04) and patients with invasive tumors with both shorter relapse-free (P = .004) and overall survival (P = .007). High TR numbers were present in high-grade tumors (P < or = .001), in patients with lymph node involvement (P = .01), and in estrogen receptor (ER) -negative tumors (P = .001). Importantly, high numbers of TR within ER-positive tumors identified high-risk patients (P = .005). Unlike conventional clinicopathologic factors, high numbers of FOXP3-positive TR can identify patients at risk of relapse after 5 years. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that quantification of FOXP3-positive TR in breast tumors is valuable for assessing disease prognosis and progression, and that TR are an important therapeutic target for breast cancer. FOXP3-positive TR represent a novel marker for identifying late-relapse patients who may benefit from aromatase therapy after standard tamoxifen treatment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T00:52:48Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:86f8a278-3f30-48ef-b99a-1e20a3ff4f96 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T00:52:48Z |
| publishDate | 2006 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:86f8a278-3f30-48ef-b99a-1e20a3ff4f962022-03-26T22:07:47ZQuantification of regulatory T cells enables the identification of high-risk breast cancer patients and those at risk of late relapse.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:86f8a278-3f30-48ef-b99a-1e20a3ff4f96EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2006Bates, GFox, SHan, CLeek, RGarcia, JHarris, ABanham, A PURPOSE: To assess the clinical significance of tumor-infiltrating FOXP3-positive regulatory T cells (TR) in breast cancer patients with long-term follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: FOXP3-positive TR were detected by immunohistochemistry with our new, extensively characterized FOXP3 monoclonal antibody, 236A/E7. Numbers of FOXP3-positive lymphocytes in tissue microarray cores from pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS; n = 62), invasive breast cancer (n = 237) or from comparable areas of normal terminal duct lobular breast tissue (n = 10) were determined. A median cutoff of > or = 15 defined patients with high numbers of TR. RESULTS: TR numbers were significantly higher in in situ and invasive breast carcinomas than in normal breast; invasive tumors have significantly higher numbers than DCIS (P = .001). High numbers of FOXP3-positive TR identified patients with DCIS at increased risk of relapse (P = .04) and patients with invasive tumors with both shorter relapse-free (P = .004) and overall survival (P = .007). High TR numbers were present in high-grade tumors (P < or = .001), in patients with lymph node involvement (P = .01), and in estrogen receptor (ER) -negative tumors (P = .001). Importantly, high numbers of TR within ER-positive tumors identified high-risk patients (P = .005). Unlike conventional clinicopathologic factors, high numbers of FOXP3-positive TR can identify patients at risk of relapse after 5 years. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that quantification of FOXP3-positive TR in breast tumors is valuable for assessing disease prognosis and progression, and that TR are an important therapeutic target for breast cancer. FOXP3-positive TR represent a novel marker for identifying late-relapse patients who may benefit from aromatase therapy after standard tamoxifen treatment. |
| spellingShingle | Bates, G Fox, S Han, C Leek, R Garcia, J Harris, A Banham, A Quantification of regulatory T cells enables the identification of high-risk breast cancer patients and those at risk of late relapse. |
| title | Quantification of regulatory T cells enables the identification of high-risk breast cancer patients and those at risk of late relapse. |
| title_full | Quantification of regulatory T cells enables the identification of high-risk breast cancer patients and those at risk of late relapse. |
| title_fullStr | Quantification of regulatory T cells enables the identification of high-risk breast cancer patients and those at risk of late relapse. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantification of regulatory T cells enables the identification of high-risk breast cancer patients and those at risk of late relapse. |
| title_short | Quantification of regulatory T cells enables the identification of high-risk breast cancer patients and those at risk of late relapse. |
| title_sort | quantification of regulatory t cells enables the identification of high risk breast cancer patients and those at risk of late relapse |
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