Volume 130, Issue 4 pp. 681-690
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Expression of CD28, FAS, PD1, and CTLA4 molecules in the blood of women with triple-negative breast cancer

Marcelo Ramos Tejo Salgado MD, PhD

Marcelo Ramos Tejo Salgado MD, PhD

Department of Research, Translational Research Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Recife, Brazil

Sociedade Pernambucana de Combate ao Cancer, Hospital de Câncer de Pernambuco (HCP), Recife, Brazil

International Research Center, A.C. Camargo Cancer, CenterSão Paulo, Brazil

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Denise Viana Sobral MD, PhD

Denise Viana Sobral MD, PhD

Department of Research, Translational Research Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Recife, Brazil

Sociedade Pernambucana de Combate ao Cancer, Hospital de Câncer de Pernambuco (HCP), Recife, Brazil

International Research Center, A.C. Camargo Cancer, CenterSão Paulo, Brazil

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Mario R. Martins MD, PhD

Mario R. Martins MD, PhD

Department of Research, Translational Research Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Recife, Brazil

Sociedade Pernambucana de Combate ao Cancer, Hospital de Câncer de Pernambuco (HCP), Recife, Brazil

International Research Center, A.C. Camargo Cancer, CenterSão Paulo, Brazil

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Eduardo Forte M. T. Salgado MD

Eduardo Forte M. T. Salgado MD

Department of Research, Translational Research Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Recife, Brazil

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Amanda Forte M. T. Salgado MD

Amanda Forte M. T. Salgado MD

Department of Research, Translational Research Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Recife, Brazil

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Kamylla Ramos da Silva MSc

Kamylla Ramos da Silva MSc

Department of Research, Translational Research Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Recife, Brazil

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Fernando Augusto Soares MD, PhD

Fernando Augusto Soares MD, PhD

International Research Center, A.C. Camargo Cancer, CenterSão Paulo, Brazil

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Leuridan C. Torres PhD

Corresponding Author

Leuridan C. Torres PhD

Department of Research, Translational Research Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Recife, Brazil

Sociedade Pernambucana de Combate ao Cancer, Hospital de Câncer de Pernambuco (HCP), Recife, Brazil

Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Correspondence Leuridan C. Torres, PhD, Translational Research Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP), P.O. Box 1393; Rua dos Coelhos, 300; Recife, PE 50070-550, Brazil.

Email: [email protected] and [email protected]

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First published: 06 June 2024

Abstract

Background

Locally advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a public health problem in Brazil. Its standard treatment consists of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Methods

This was a longitudinal study with follow-up performed between the years 2015 and 2017. Thirty women with locally advanced TNBC submitted to NAC, and 30 healthy were included. Peripheral blood samples were collected before NAC (Pre-NAC) and after NAC (Post-NAC).

Results

Patients with TNBC had elevated levels of CD28+ T, FAS+ T, CTLA4+ T, PD1+ T, CD28+CD4+ T, PD1+CD4+ T and CD8+ T and PD1+ CD8+ T cells compared to controls (p < 0.05). Patients with pathological complete response (pCR) had low FAS+ T cells, FAS+CD4+ T cells, and PD1+CD8+ T cells compared to the non-pCR (p < 0.05). Significant differences were observed in the levels of CD28+ T cells, FAS+ T and PD1+ T, CD4+ T, CD28+CD4+ T, FAS+CD4+ T, PD1+CD4+ T, CD8+ T, and PD1+CD8+ T cells between Pre-NAC and Post-NAC groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Alterations in the circulating FAS+CD4+ T and PD1+CD8+ T cell levels Pre-NAC are associated with pCR, suggesting potential predictive biomarkers of NAC response in TNBC. The largest changes in the cellular immune response profile Post-NAC showed that chemotherapy treatment can modulate the immune response and that it is associated with prognosis in TNBC.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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