Immune response is known to play an important role in local tumor control especially in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which is considered highly immunogenic. For localized tumors, operative resection or local ablative procedures such as cryoablation are common therapeutical options. For thermal ablative procedures such as cryoablation, additional immunological anti-tumor effects have been described.The purpose of this prospective study was to determine changes in peripheral blood circulating lymphocytes and various of their subsets in RCC patients treated with cryoablation or surgery in a longitudinal approach using extensive flow cytometry. Additionally, lymphocytes of RCC patients were compared to a healthy control group.We included 25 patients with RCC. Eight underwent cryoablation and 17 underwent surgery. Univariate and multivariable analysis revealed significantly lower values of B cells, CD4 and CD8 T cells, and various of their subsets in the treatment groups versus the healthy control group. Comparing the two different therapeutical approaches, a significant decline of various lymphocyte subsets with a consecutive normalization after three months was seen for the surgery group, whereas cryoablation led to increased values of CD69 + CD4 + and CD69 + CD8 + cell counts as well as memory CD8 + cells after three months.Treatment-naïve RCC patients showed lower peripheral blood lymphocyte counts compared to healthy controls. The post-treatment course revealed different developments of lymphocytes in the surgery versus cryoablation group, and only cryoablation seems to induce a sustained immunological response after three months.
BMC cancer. 2024 Jul 10*** epublish ***
Johanna Waidhauser, Anna-Katharina Gantner, Paola Schifano, Katharina Rippel, Stefan Schiele, Tim Tobias Arndt, Gernot Müller, Julie Steinestel, Andreas Rank, Thomas Kröncke
Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Augsburg, Stenglinstr.2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany. ., Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Augsburg, Stenglinstr.2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany., Department of Urology, University Medical Center Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany., Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany., Institute of Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.