[The in situ analysis of cytokine mRNA expression in immunological microenvironment about non-small cell lung cancer].

AIM: Using Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as subject, to explore the characteristics of immune response in immunological microenvironment at the tumor site and its effect on anti-tumor immunity.

METHODS

Using in situ hybridization (ISH), the expressions of IL-2, INF-gamma, IL-12 (p40), IL-18, IL-4, IL-10, TGF-beta1, IL-1, IL-3, IL-8, GM-CSF, TNF-alpha and TGF-alpha mRNAs in lymphocytes and tumor cells from five fresh pleural effusion samples and 18 tumor tissue samples of NSCLC patients were detected by in situ hybridization with digoxin end-labeled oligonucleotide probe, using 5 tuberculous pleurisy patients as control.

RESULTS

In pleural effusion and tumor tissue of NSCLC patients, the expression levels of IL-4, IL-10, TGF-alpha, and TGF-beta1 mRNAs were significantly higher than those of IL-2, IL-12, IL-18 and INF-gamma mRNAs. In contrast, the analysis of tuberculous pleural effusion samples revealed lower levels of above-mentioned cytokine mRNA. There was no significant difference among expression levels of these cytokine mRNAs.

CONCLUSION

The expressions of type II cytokine mRNAs and immunosuppressive cytokine mRNAs in pleural effusion and tumor tissue of NSCLC patients occupied a dominant position, suggesting that the immunological microenvironment about tumor be in an immunosuppressive state. The present study has contributed to a better understanding the mechanisms of tumor escape and provides important experimental basis for working out the scheme for an effective immunomodulatory treatment of NSCLC patients.