Changes in peripheral blood T-cell balance after percutaneous tumor ablation

• Published in: Minimally invasive therapy and allied technologies Vol. 26; no. 6; pp. 331 - 337
• Main Authors: Takaki, Haruyuki, Imai, Naoko, Thomas, Contessa T., Yamakado, Koichiro, Yarmohammadi, Hooman, Ziv, Etay, Srimathveeravalli, Govindarajan, Sofocleous, Constantinos T., Solomon, Stephen B., Erinjeri, Joseph P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02.11.2017
• Subjects: Ablation Techniques; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Catheter Ablation; cryoablation; Cryosurgery; Female; Humans; Leukocytes - immunology; lymphocyte; Male; microwave ablation; Microwaves - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - surgery; Prospective Studies; Radiofrequency ablation; T-cell; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; Young Adult; Radiofrequency ablation; T-cell; cryoablation; microwave ablation; lymphocyte
• ISSN: 1364-5706; 1365-2931; 1365-2931
• DOI: 10.1080/13645706.2017.1310737

Purpose: To evaluate the changes in T-cell balance in peripheral blood following percutaneous tumor ablation. Material and methods: Patients underwent thermal ablation including radiofrequency (n = 9) and microwave ablation (n = 5), or cryoablation (n = 5). Target tumors were located in the lung (n = 7), soft tissue (n = 5), liver (n = 4), and bone (n = 3). Patient peripheral blood samples were collected before and within 14 days after ablation. Peripheral blood populations of cytotoxic T-cells (CTL), type-1 (T h 1) and type-2 helper T-cells (T h 2), and regulatory T-cells (T reg ) were measured using flow cytometry. Changes in CTL/T reg and T h 1/T h 2 ratios before and after ablation therapy were compared using paired t-tests. Results: Peripheral blood CTL population (27.5 ± 2.1% to 30.2 ± 2.5%, p < .03) and CTL/T reg ratios (18.8 ± 3.7% to 21.6 ± 3.6%, p < .05) increased significantly after ablation. Although a significant increase in CTL/T reg ratios was found after heat-based ablation (18.0 ± 4.4% to 21.6 ± 4.7%, p < .02), it remained unchanged after cryoablation (21.0 ± 7.0% to 21.5 ± 4.3%, p = .92). T h 1/T h 2 ratio (13.7 ± 3.0% to 17.2 ± 3.5%, p = .12) remained unchanged after ablation. Conclusion: Ablation therapy alters the T-cell balance by increasing the systemic CTL/T reg, ratio. Heat-based ablation might be a more effective approach than cryoablation to enhance systemic anti-tumor immunity.