Description:
Abstract Mutual interactions between the host immune system and lymphoma cells can either promote or control lymphomagenesis.A subset of CD4-CD8- double-negative T cells(DNTs) has been recently described to be involved in anti-tumor immunity acting as regulatory T cells and/or cytotoxic T cells.The aim of this study was to assess the role of DNTs on clinical outcome and progression of Lymphoma patients (pts).Peripheral blood(PB) and bone marrow(BM) samples of 46 Lymphoma pts,with non-Hodgkin’s(nHL) and classical Hodgkin Lymphoma(HL),and 16 PB of 16 healthy donors (hd),were selected and prospectively collected at diagnosis, at different time of therapy and at the time of relapse or progression.DNTs were purified and characterized for their phenotype and for tolerogenic or cytotoxic attitude with functional studies.The percentage of DNTs in BM (2.367+0.5891)of pts was lower than in PB(3.421+0.981) and decreased(p=0.006)in pts with untreated lymphoma as compared with hd,seeming to be modulated by disease relapse/progression or disease treatment.In HL αβ-DNTs were significantly increased as compared with other histotypes(p=0.0001).Interestingly,after ex vivo expansion,DNTs acquired a immunomodulatory cytokine profile.Our study demonstrated that αβ-DNTs could play an important role in both the development and the progression of lymphomas.Finally,it is likely that ex-vivo expanded DNTs exert an anti-tumor activity suggesting their possible use as a new strategy for adoptive immune-therapy.