Predominant Th2/Tc2 polarity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in human cervical cancer

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (Tc) play a central role in cellular immunity again st cancers. The cytotoxic potential of freshly isolated tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is usually not expressed. This suggests the possible exi stence of as yet unspecified and perhaps complex immunosuppressive factors or cytokines that affect the anti-tumor capacity of these TILs in the tumor milieu. In the present study, we demonstrated for the first time that TILs derived from human cervical cancer tissue consist mainly of Th2/Tc2 phenot ypes. In vitro kinetic assays further revealed that cancer cells could dire ct the tumor-encountered T cells toward the Th2/Tc2 polarity. Cancer cells promote the production of IL-4 and down-regulate the production of IFN-gamm a in cancer-encountered T cells. The regulatory effects of cervical cancer cells are mediated mainly by IL-10, and TGF-beta plays only a synergistic r ole. The cancer-derived effects can be reversed by neutralizing anti-IL-10 and anti-TGF-beta Abs. IL-10 and TGF-beta are present in cancer tissue and weakly expressed in precancerous tissue, but not in normal cervical epithel ial cells. Our study strongly suggests important regulatory roles of IL-10 and TGF-beta in cancer-mediated immunosuppression.