Intrahepatic natural killer T cell populations are increased in human hepatic steatosis

AIM: To determine if natural killer T cell (NKT) populations are affected in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: Patients undergoing bariatric surgery underwent liver biopsy and blood sampling during surgery. The biopsy was assessed for steatosis and immunocyte infiltration. Intrahepatic lymphocytes (IHLs) were isolated from the remainder of the liver biopsy, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from the blood. Expression of surface proteins on both IHLs and PBMCs were quantified using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Twenty-seven subjects participated in thisstudy. Subjects with moderate or severe steatosis had a higher percentage of intrahepatic CD3+/CD56+ NKT cells (38.6%) than did patients with mild steatosis (24.1%, P = 0.05) or those without steatosis (21.5%, P = 0.03). Patients with moderate to severe steatosis also had a higher percentage of NKT cells in the blood (12.3%) as compared to patients with mild steatosis (2.5% P = 0.02) and those without steatosis (5.1%, P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: NKT cells are significantly increased in the liver and blood of patients with moderate to severe steatosis and support the role of NKT cells in NAFLD.

Role natural killer group 2D-ligand interactions in hepatitis B infection

Hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection is the leading causeof liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）worldwide, in spite of prophylactic vaccination andantiviral treatment modalities. The immunopathogenesisof HBV infection has been intensively studied and ispropelled by complex interactions between the virus andthe host immune system. Natural killer group 2D （NKG2D）is a well-characterized activating receptor, expressed onnatural killer （NK） cells, NK T cells and CD8＋ cytotoxic Tcells. This receptor is present in both humans and miceand binds to a diverge family of ligands that resemble theMHC-class Ⅰ molecules. Increasing evidence shows thatNKG2D-ligand interactions are critical in the establishmentof HBV persistence and the development of liver injuryand HCC. The expression of NKG2D ligands dependson the presence of several polymorphisms and is alsomodulated post-transcriptionally by HBV. While it isknown that HBV circumvents host’s innate immunityvia the NKG2D pathway but the exact mechanismsinvolved are still elusive. This letter discusses previousaccomplishments on the role of NKG2D ligand regulationin the development of chronic HBV, liver injury and HCC.Key words： Hepatitis B virus; Natural killer group 2Dreceptor; Natural killer cells; MHC class I polypeptiderelatedchain A; Hepatocellular carcinoma

Isolation and identification of a marine killer yeast strain YF07b and cloning of the gene encoding killer toxin from the yeast

It was found that the marine yeast strain YF07b could secrete a large amount of killer toxin against a pathogenic yeast strain WCY which could cause milky disease in Portunus trituberculcttus. The marine yeast strain YF07b was identified to be Pichia anomala according to the results of routine yeast identification and 18S rDNA and ITS sequences. The gene encoding killer toxin in the marine yeast strain YF07b was amplified by PCR technology. After sequencing, the results show that an open reading frame, consisting of 1 281 bp, encoded a presumed protein of 427 amino acids. The sequence of the cloned gene was found to have 99% match with that of the gene encoding killer toxin in Pichia anomalas strain K. A signal peptide including 17 amino acids appeared in the N-terminal domain of the killer toxin. Therefore, the mature protein consisted of 410 amino acids, its molecular mass was estimated to be 47.4 ku and its isoelctronic point was 4.5.

Potential role of killer immunoglobulin receptor genes among individuals vaccinated against hepatitis B virus in Lebanon

AIMTo explore the role of killer immunoglobulin receptor (KIR) genes in responsiveness or non-responsiveness to vaccination against hepatitis B virus. METHODSWe recruited 101 voluntary participants between March 2010 and December 2011. Sera samples from vaccinated and non-vaccinated participants were tested for the presence of anti-HBs antibodies as a measure of protection against hepatitis B, hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B core antibody as indicators of infection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. KIR gene frequencies were determined by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTSSera samples from 99 participants were tested for the levels of anti-HBs as an indicator of protection (≥ 10 mIU/mL) following vaccination as defined by the World Health Organization international reference standard. Among the vaccinated participants, 47% (35/74) had anti-HBs titers above 100 mIU/mL, 22% (16/74) had anti-HBs ranging between 10-100 mIU/mL, and 20% (15/74) had values of less than 10 mIU/mL. We report the lack of significant association between the number of vaccine dosages and the titer of antibodies among our vaccinated participants. The inhibitory KIR2DL1, KIR2DL4, KIR3DL1, KIR3DL2, and KIR3DL were detected in more than 95%, whereas KIR2DL2, KIR2DL3, KIR2DL5 (KR2DL5A and KIR2DL5B) were expressed in 56%, 84% and 42% (25% and 29%) of participants, respectively. The observed frequency of the activating KIR genes ranged between 35% and 55% except for KIR2DS4, detected in 95% of the study participants (40.6% 2DS4*001/002; 82.2% 2DS4*003/007). KIR2DP1 pseudogene was detected in 99% of our participants, whereas KIR3DP*001/02/04 and KIR3DP1*003 had frequencies of 17% and 100%, respectively. No association between the frequency of KIR genes and anti-HBs antibodies was detected. When we compared the frequency of KIR genes between vaccinated individuals with protective antibodies titers and those who lost their protective antibody levels, we did not detect a significant difference. KIR2DL5B was significantly different among different groups of vaccinated participants (group I > 100 mIU/mL, group II 10-100 mIU/mL, group III CONCLUSIONTo our knowledge, this is the first study screening for the possible role of KIR genes among individuals vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (HBV). Our results can be used to design larger studies to better understand the role of KIR genes in protection against or susceptibility to HBV post vaccination.

线粒体靶向KillerRed增强辐射诱导HeLa细胞自噬作用及其机制

目的:探讨线粒体靶向KillerRed(mtKR)增强辐射诱导HeLa细胞线粒体失能及细胞自噬作用,并阐明其相关分子机制。方法:线粒体靶向质粒PTEN诱导激酶1(Pink1)-mtKR转染HeLa细胞后,进行可见光和4 Gy X射线照射,实验分为对照组、空载体组、Pink1-mtKR组、对照+4 Gy X射线照射组、空载体+4 Gy X射线照射组和Pink1-mtKR+4 Gy X射线照射组。X线照射后24 h,采用流式细胞术检测线粒体膜电位(MMP)和细胞自噬率,采用生化试剂盒检测线粒体呼吸链复合物Ⅰ和Ⅲ水平,采用Western blotting法检测自噬分子P62、Pink1、帕金蛋白(parkin)和线粒体外膜转换酶20(Tom20)的表达量。结果:Pink1-mtKR瞬时转染HeLa细胞后,给予可见光联合4 Gy X射线照射,与对照组比较,Pink1-mtKR组细胞MMP、线粒体呼吸链复合物Ⅰ和Ⅲ水平均明显降低(P<0.05),细胞自噬率明显升高(P<0.05),Pink1-mtKR+4 GyX射线照射组细胞MMP、线粒体呼吸链复合物Ⅰ和Ⅲ水平进一步降低(P<0.05),自噬率进一步升高(P<0.05)。与对照组比较,Pink1-mtKR组和Pink1-mtKR+4 Gy X射线照射组细胞总蛋白中Pink1和parkin蛋白表达量无明显变化,而P62蛋白表达量增加,Pink1-mtKR组和Pink1-mtKR+4 Gy X射线照射组细胞线粒体蛋白中Pink1、parkin和Tom 20蛋白表达量均明显增加。结论:mtKR可增强辐射诱导的线粒体失能和自噬,其机制可能涉及到Pink1/parkin自噬通路的调控。

Why natural killer cells in triple negative breast cancer?

The triple-negative subtype of breast cancer(TNBC)has the bleakest prognosis,owing to its lack of either hormone receptor as well as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2.Henceforth,immunotherapy has emerged as the front-runner for TNBC treatment,which avoids potentially damaging chemotherapeutics.However,despite its documented association with aggressive side effects and developed resistance,immune checkpoint blockade continues to dominate the TNBC immunotherapy scene.These immune checkpoint blockade drawbacks necessitate the exploration of other immunotherapeutic methods that would expand options for TNBC patients.One such method is the exploitation and recruitment of natural killer cells,which by harnessing the innate rather than adaptive immune system could potentially circumvent the downsides of immune checkpoint blockade.In this review,the authors will elucidate the advantageousness of natural killer cell-based immuno-oncology in TNBC as well as demonstrate the need to more extensively research such therapies in the future.

The effects of stereotactic body radiotherapy on peripheral natural killer and CD3~+CD56~+ NKT-like cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: Both natural killer(NK) and CD3+CD56+ natural killer T(NKT)-like cells play critical roles in the antitumor response. This study aimed to explore the effects of stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT) on peripheral NK and NKT-like cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), and to identify possible surface markers on these cells that correlate with the prognosis. Methods: Twenty-five HCC patients were prospectively enrolled in our study, and 10 healthy individuals were served as healthy controls. Flow cytometry was used to determine the counts and the percentages of peripheral NK and NKT-like cells, cells with certain receptors, and cells with intracellular interferon-γand TNF-α secretion at different time points, including time points of prior to SBRT, at post-SBRT, and 3-month and 6-month after treatment. The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test was applied for survival analysis. Results: The peripheral NKT-like cells was increased at post-SBRT. Meanwhile, elevated levels of inhibitory receptors and reduced levels of activating receptors of NK cells were also observed in NK cells at post-SBRT, but the levels was not significantly different at 3-month and 6-month as compared with the baseline levels. Lower percentage of NKp30+ NK cells before SBRT and higher percentage of CD158b + NK cells after SBRT were associated with poor progression-free survival. In addition, higher percentage of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells was associated with a higher overall survival rate in HCC patients. Conclusions: SBRT has an apparent effect on both peripheral NK and CD3+ CD56+ NKT-like cells. Lower percentage of NKp30 + NK cells before SBRT and higher percentage of CD158b + NK cells after SBRT are correlated with poor patients' PFS. Higher percentage of CD3+ CD56+ NKT-like cells is associated with higher OS in HCC patients.

Succinct and Concise Style, Profound and Subtle Theme—An Appreciation of“The Killers”

Hemingway's writing style is unique in the literary world.The basic feature of his works is concise,crisp and implicit.His dialogue has a name of"telegraphic dialogue"."The Killers"is the classic masterpiece of this style,and it is one of the most outstanding works of modern American short stories.This article aims at analyzing the theme and the characters of the novel through the dialogues.

A Good Example of Hemingway's Iceberg Principle:The Killers

Hemingway established a well-known literary theory - iceberg principle.He said he always attempted to create his literary works according to this principle.In his opinion,if a prose writer has a pretty clear idea of what he writes about,then he can omit the things he knows,and the readers will strongly feel that what the writer has omitted seems to have been written as long as what he writes is authentic.Hemingway himself once said,"The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one eighth of it being above water."Here,one eighth refers to the information given by the author,and the rest refers to the unwrit ten information that can be acquired in readers'imagination on the basis of the one eighth.The Killers is a good example of Hemingway's iceberg principle.This essay will analyse the characters in it to show how the principle was used in this short story.With no doubt the iceberg principle leaves a large space for the readers to imagine and better understand Hemingway's works.

线粒体靶向KillerRed诱导的ROS增强辐射对HeLa细胞的增殖抑制作用

目的:构建线粒体靶向KillerRed(KR)重组表达载体,探讨可见光照射诱导活性氧(ROS)生成规律及其增强电离辐射对HeLa细胞的增殖抑制作用。方法:利用基因重组技术构建线粒体靶向重组载体plxspflag-Sarm1-KR和plxsp-flag-Sarm1-mCherry。将宫颈癌HeLa细胞分为对照组、plxsp-flag组、plxsp-flag-Sarm1-KR组、4Gy组、plxsp-flag+4Gy组和plxsp-flag-Sarm1-KR+4Gy组。细胞转染24h后,利用荧光显微镜检测mCherry蛋白和细胞色素C氧化酶Ⅳ(COXⅣ)蛋白表达水平;可见光照射后利用DCFH-DA探针检测平均荧光强度(MFI),表示ROS生成水平;4Gy X射线照射后,利用CCK-8试剂盒检测细胞增殖活性。结果:构建载体经测序鉴定并与GenBank序列比对,表明线粒体靶向融合表达载体plxsp-flag-Sarm1-KR(mCherry)构建成功。转染HeLa细胞后,荧光显微镜下可见mCherry蛋白与线粒体示踪COXⅣ蛋白具有相同的定位。ROS生成水平,对照组和plxsp-flag组在可见光照射10、30和60min后掺入探针,掺入探针10、30和60min后MFI无明显变化(P>0.05);plxsp-flag-Sarm1-KR组MFI呈时间依赖性增加,与对照组比较,plxsp-flag-Sarm1-KR组可见光照射10和30min后掺入探针,掺入探针60min后MFI明显增加(P<0.05);可见光照射60min后掺入探针,掺入探针30和60min后plxsp-flag-Sarm1-KR组MFI明显降低(P<0.05)。与对照组比较,plxsp-flag组细胞增殖活性无明显变化(P>0.05),10和24h时plxsp-flag-Sarm1-KR组细胞增殖活性明显降低(P<0.05),10h时4Gy组和plxsp-flag+4Gy组细胞增殖活性明显降低(P<0.01),10、24和48h时plxsp-flagSarm1-KR+4Gy组细胞增殖活性明显降低(P<0.05或P<0.01);与plxsp-flag-Sarm1-KR组和4Gy组比较,plxsp-flag-Sarm1-KR+4Gy组细胞增殖活性明显降低(P<0.05)。结论:成功构建线粒体靶向融合表达载体,所介导的KR蛋白可以诱导ROS产生,并且增强电离辐射对HeLa细胞的增殖抑制作用。

Intraperitoneal perfusion of cytokine-induced killer cells with local hyperthermia for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM:To study the effect and tolerance of intraperitoneal perfusion of cytokine-induced killer(CIK) cells in combination with local radio frequency(RF) hyperthermia in patients with advanced primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).METHODS:Patients with advanced primary HCC were included in this study.CIK cells were perfused intraperitoneal twice a week,using 3.2 × 10 9 to 3.6 × 10 9 cells each session.Local RF hyperthermia was performed 2 h after intraperitoneal perfusion.Following an interval of one month,the next course of treatment was administered.Patients received treatment until disease progression.Tumor size,immune indices(CD3 +,CD4 +,CD3 + CD8 +,CD3 + CD56 +),alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) level,abdominal circumference and adverse events were recorded.Time to progression and overall survival(OS) were calculated.RESULTS:From June 2010 to July 2011,31 patients diagnosed with advanced primary HCC received intraperitoneal perfusion of CIK cells in combination with local RF hyperthermia in our study.Patients received an average of 4.2 ± 0.6 treatment courses(range,1-8 courses).Patients were followed up for 8.3 ± 0.7 mo(range,2-12 mo).Following combination treatment,CD4 +,CD3 + CD8 + and CD3 + CD56 + cells increased from 35.78% ± 3.51%,24.61% ± 4.19% and 5.94% ± 0.87% to 45.83% ± 2.48%(P = 0.016),39.67% ± 3.38%(P = 0.008) and 10.72% ± 0.67%(P = 0.001),respectively.AFP decreased from 167.67 ± 22.44 to 99.89 ± 22.05 ng/mL(P = 0.001) and abdominal circumference decreased from 97.50 ± 3.45 cm to 87.17 ± 4.40 cm(P = 0.002).The disease control rate was 67.7%.The most common adverse events were low fever and slight abdominal erubescence,which resolved without treatment.The median time to progression was 6.1 mo.The 3-,6-and 9-mo and 1-year survival rates were 93.5%,77.4%,41.9% and 17.4%,respectively.The median OS was 8.5 mo.CONCLUSION:Intraperitoneal perfusion of CIK cells in combination with local RF hyperthermia is safe,can efficiently improve immunological status,and may prolong survival in HCC patients.

Natural Killer Cell-Based Immunotherapy for Cancer: Advances and Prospects

Natural killer (NK) cells are key innate immune cells that provide the first line of defense against viral infection and cancer. Although NK cells can discriminate between "self" and "non-self," recognize abnormal cells, and eliminate transformed cells and malignancies in real time, tumors develop several strategies to escape from NK cell attack. These strategies include upregulating ligands for the inhibitory receptors of NK cells and producing soluble molecules or immunosuppressive factors. Various types of NK cells are currently being applied in clinical trials, including autologous or allogeneic NK cells, umbilical cord blood (UCB) or induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived NK cells, memory-like NK cells, and NK cell line NK-92 cells, for the treatment of different types of tumors. Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs)-NK cells have recently shown great potential due to their redirect specificity and effective antitumor activity. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of tumor escape from NK cell recognition, the current status and advanced progress of NK cell-based immunotherapy, ways of enhancing the antitumor capacity of NK cells in vivo, and major challenges for clinical practice in this field.

Immunotherapy with dendritic cells and cytokine-induced killer cells for hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) has been revealed as the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The introduction of cell-based immunotherapy, including dendritic cells(DCs) and cytokine-induced killer cells(CIKs), has brought HCC patients an effective benefit. However, the efficacy and necessity of cellular immunotherapy after different interventional therapy remains to be further explored.AIM To investigate the efficacy of cellular immunotherapy, involving DCs and CIKs,combined with different conventional treatments of HCC.METHODS We performed a literature search on PubMed and Web of Science up to February15, 2019. Long-term efficacy(overall survival and recurrence) and short-term adverse effects were investigated to assess the effectiveness of immunotherapy with DCs and/or CIKs. Review Manager 5.3 was used to perform the analysis.RESULTS A total of 22 studies involving 3756 patients selected by eligibility inclusion criteria were forwarded for meta-analysis. Combined with the conventional clinical treatment, immunotherapy with DCs and/or CIKs was demonstrated to significantly improve overall survival at 6 mo [risk ratio(RR) = 1.07;95%confidence interval(CI): 1.01-1.13, P = 0.02], 1 year(RR = 1.12;95%CI: 1.07-1.17, P< 0.00001), 3 years(RR = 1.23;95%CI: 1.15-1.31, P < 0.00001) and 5 years(RR =1.26;95%CI: 1.15-1.37, P < 0.00001). Recurrence rate was significantly reduced by cellular immunotherapy at 6 mo(RR = 0.50;95%CI: 0.36-0.69, P < 0.0001) and 1 year(RR = 0.82;95%CI: 0.75-0.89, P < 0.00001). Adverse effect assessment addressed that immunotherapy with DCs and/or CIKs was accepted as a safe,feasible treatment.CONCLUSION Combination immunotherapy with DCs, CIKs and DC/CIK with various routine treatments for HCC was evidently suggested to improve patients’ prognosis by increasing overall survival and reducing cancer recurrence.

Primary site and regional lymph nodeinvolvement are independent prognosticfactors for early？stage extranodal nasal？typenatural killer/T cell lymphoma

Background:Nasal-type extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma(ENKTCL) originates primarily in the nasal cavity or extra-nasal sites within the upper aerodigestive tract.However,it is unclear whether the primary site can serve as an independent prognostic factor or whether the varying clinical outcomes observed with different primary sites can be attributed merely to their propensities of regional lymph node involvement.The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic implications of the primary site and regional lymph node involvement in patients with early-stage nasal-type ENKTCL.Methods:To develop a nomogram,we reviewed the clinical data of 215 consecutively diagnosed patients with early-stage nasal-type ENKTCL who were treated in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center with chemotherapy and radiotherapy between 2000 and 2011.The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were determined using a concordance index(C-index) and calibration curve.Results:The 5-year overall survival(OS) and progression-free survival(PFS) rates of patients with nasal ENKTCL were higher than those of patients with extra-nasal ENKTCL(OS:68.2%vs.46.0%,P = 0.030;PFS:53.4%vs.26.6%,P = 0.010).The 5-year OS and PFS rates of patients with Ann Arbor stage IE ENKTCL were higher than those of patients with Ann Arbor stage HE ENKTCL(OS:66.3%vs.59.2%,P = 0.003;PFS:51.4%vs.40.3%,P = 0.009).Multivariate analysis showed that age >60 years,ECOG performance status score >2,elevated lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) level,extranasal primary site,and regional lymph node involvement were significantly associated with lower 5-year OS rate;age >60 years,elevated LDH level,extra-nasal primary site,and regional lymph node involvement were significantly associated with lower 5-year PFS rate.The nomogram included the primary site and regional lymph node involvement based on multivariate analysis.The calibration curve showed good agreement between the predicted and actual 5-year OS and PFS rates,and the C-indexes of the nomogram for the OS and PFS rates were 0.697 and 0.634,respectively.Conclusions:The primary site and regional lymph node involvement are independent prognostic factors for earlystage ENKTCL treated with chemotherapy followed by definitive radiotherapy.

Effects of acupuncture treatment on natural killer cell activity,pulse rate,and pain reduction for older adults:an uncontrolled,observational study

OBJECTIVE： The aim of this study was to examine the changes in natural killer （NK） cell activity, pulse rate, and pain intensity among older adults before and after acupuncture treatment. METHODS： Fifty-six individuals （16 males and 40 females）, aged 60 to 82 years （mean age 72.4 ＋ 5.0）, who were experiencing pain in the shoulder, low back, or knee, participated in the study. NK cell activity, leukocyte differentiation （granulocytes and lymphocytes）, pulse rate, and blood pressure values were obtained. Pain intensity was evaluated by using the visual analog scale （VAS）. The Wilcoxon test was used to analyze NK cell activity, leukocytes （granulocyte counts and granulocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio）, and the VAS score in accordance with the location of pain complaints before and after acupuncture treatment. RESULTS： NK cell activity decreased after acupuncture treatment for pain in the shoulder-pain and knee-pain groups. Further, the lymphocyte and granulocyte counts increased after acupuncture treatment for the shoulder-pain group. Pulse rate decreased for the shoulder-pain, low-back- pain, and knee-pain groups after acupuncture treatment. The VAS score decreased after acupuncture treatment for the shoulder-pain, low-back-pain, and knee-pain groups. CONCLUSION： This study showed that in older adults, acupuncture treatment decreases pulse rate, relieves pain in the shoulder, low back, and knee, and reduces NK-cell activity.

Adjuvant treatment for triple-negative breast cancer: a retrospective study of immunotherapy with autologous cytokine-induced killer cells in 294 patients

Objective: To examine the efficacy and safety of a sequential combination of chemotherapy and autologous cytokine-induced killer(CIK) cell treatment in triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC) patients.Methods: A total of 294 post-surgery TNBC patients participated in the research from January 1, 2009 to January 1, 2015. After adjuvant chemotherapy, autologous CIK cells were introduced in 147 cases(CIK group), while adjuvant chemotherapy alone was used to treat the remaining 147 cases(control group). The major endpoints of the investigation were the disease-free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS). Additionally, the side effects of the treatment were evaluated.Results: In the CIK group, the DFS and OS intervals of the patients were significantly longer than those of the control group(DFS:P = 0.047;OS: P = 0.007). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that the TNM(tumor-node-metastasis) stage and adjuvant CIK treatment were independent prognostic factors for both DFS [hazard ratio(HR)= 0.520, 95% confidence interval(CI):0.271-0.998, P = 0.049;HR = 1.449, 95% CI:1.118-1.877, P = 0.005, respectively] and OS(HR=0.414, 95% CI:0.190-0.903, P = 0.027;HR= 1.581, 95% CI:1.204-2.077, P = 0.001, respectively) in patients with TNBC. Additionally, longer DFS and OS intervals were associated with increased number of CIK treatment cycles(DFS: P = 0.020;OS: P = 0.040). The majority of the patients who benefitted from CIK cell therapy were relatively early-stage TNBC patients.Conclusion: Chemotherapy in combination with adjuvant CIK could be used to lower the relapse and metastasis rate, thus effectively extending the survival time of TNBC patients, especially those at early stages.

Cisplatin pretreatment enhances anti-tumor activity of cytokine-induced killer cells

AIM： To investigate whether cisplatin （DDP） enhances the anti-tumor activity of cytokine- induced killer （CIK） cells in a murine colon adenocarcinoma model. METHODS： Tumor size and weight served as indicators of therapeutic response. Immunohistochemistry was performed to observe intratumoral lymphocyte infiltration and tumor microvessel density. Changes in the percentage of regulatory T （Treg） cells within the spleens of tumor-bearing mice preconditioned with DDP were monitored using flow cytometry. RESULTS： A marked T cell-dependent, synergistic anti- tumor effect of the combined therapy was observed （1968 ± 491 mm3 ys 3872 ＋ 216 mm3; P = 0,003）, Preconditioning chemotherapy with DDP augmented the infiltration of CD3＋ T lymphocytes into the tumor mass and reduced the percentage of both intratumoral and splenic Treg cells. CONCLUSION： Preconditioning with DDP markedly enhances the efficacy of adoptively transferred CIK cells, providing a potential clinical modality for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer.

Tumor immunotherapy: New aspects of natural killer cells

A group of impressive immunotherapies for cancer treatment, including immune checkpoint-blocking antibodies,gene therapy and immune cell adoptive cellular immunotherapy, have been established, providing new weapons to fight cancer. Natural killer（NK） cells are a component of the first line of defense against tumors and virus infections. Studies have shown dysfunctional NK cells in patients with cancer. Thus, restoring NK cell antitumor functionality could be a promising therapeutic strategy. NK cells that are activated and expanded ex vivo can supplement malfunctional NK cells in tumor patients. Therapeutic antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor（CAR）, or bispecific proteins can all retarget NK cells precisely to tumor cells. Therapeutic antibody blockade of the immune checkpoints of NK cells has been suggested to overcome the immunosuppressive signals delivered to NK cells.Oncolytic virotherapy provokes antitumor activity of NK cells by triggering antiviral immune responses. Herein,we review the current immunotherapeutic approaches employed to restore NK cell antitumor functionality for the treatment of cancer.

Synchronous adenocarcinoma and extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma of the colon:A case report and literature review

Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma(ENKTL) is a distinct subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and is rare in the colon.Synchronous adenocarcinoma and ENKTL of the colon has not been reported in the literature.In the present study,we report a 63-year-old male who suffered from intermittent bloody stools for 2 mo.He did not have fever,body weight loss or night sweat.Endoscopic and imaging studies revealed a 4.5-cm ulcerative mass in the ascending colon and a 3.0-cm polypoid,easy bleeding mass in the sigmoid colon,respectively.Thought to have double carcinoma of the colon,he received simultaneous right hemicolectomy and sigmoidectomy.The pathological diagnosis was a synchronous ENKTL(ascending colon) and adenocarcinoma(sigmoid colon).The literature on synchronous adenocarcinoma and malignant lymphoma of the colon was also reviewed.

Distribution of natural killer cells and T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood,gallbladder cancer and surrounding tissue

BACKGROUND: The patient with malignant tumor always show immunologic function drawback and ingravescent with tumor development, especially in the aspect of cell-mediated immunity. This study was undertaken to define the relationship between the immune function of local cells and cancer development by investigating the distribution of natural killer (NK) cells and T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood, the cancer tissue and the tissue surrounding gallbladder carcinoma. METHODS: The numbers of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-lymphocytes and NK cells were measured by flow cytometry in samples taken from gallbladder cancer tissue, the surrounding tissues and peripheral blood of 38 patients, and compared with the numbers in the peripheral blood and gallbladder tissue of 30 patients with cholecystitis as controls. RESULTS: The numbers of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells and NK cells in gallbladder cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in the surrounding tissue and gallbladder with gallstone. However, the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+) was lower in the cancer tissue than that in the surrounding tissue and tissue from gallbladders with gallstones. The distribution of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells and NK cells in mucous membrane of cholecystitis gallbladder and that in the tissue surrounding gallbladder cancer were significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Disproportionate and imbalanced distribution of NK cells and subsets of T-lymphocytes occurs in the mucous membrane proper of gallbladder cancer and surrounding tissue. Although gallbladder cancer tissue has higher expressions of CD4(+), CD8(+) and NK cells, the immune function is low or in an inhibited state. In gallbladder cancer immunization therapy, local cellular immunological function should be enhanced and the protective barrier improved.