Research on expression and its role of regulatory T cells in mammary cancer microenvironment        YAN Li*, LI Qing-huai, LI Li, et al. *Department of Gland Surgery, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
Corresponding author: CAI Jian-hui,E-mail:jianhuicai2001@163.com
Abstract    Objective    To investigate the role and mechanism of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in immunity tolerance of mammary cancer. Methods    There were 40 cases of mammary cancer (20 cases of lymphonodus metastasis, 20 cases without lymphonodus metastasis) and 20 cases of mammary fibroma selected from the Department of Gland Surgery,the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Expression level of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells, TGF-β and IL-10 in original, peripheral tissue, axilla lymphonodus and mammary fibroma of the above samples were measured respectively by FCM and immunohistochemical method. Results    The expression level of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+regulatory T cells, TGF-β and IL-10 in orginal tissues of mammary cancer were all higher than that of mammary fibroma (P<0.05), and were higher than that of peripheral tissue and axilla lymphonodus(P<0.05). In the group with lymphonodus metastasis, the expression level of the above three measured index in mammary cancer peripheral tissue was significantly lower than that expressed in axilla lymphonodus(P<0.05). However in the group without lymphonodus metastasis, there was no difference in expression level of the above three measured index between mammary cancer peripheral tissue and axilla lymphonodus (P>0.05). Conclusion    The fact that CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells accumulate in mammary cancer microenvironment can probably result in immunity tolerance. With the progress of mammary cancer, there is some synergistic action between CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and TGF-β, IL-10.