Increased levels of immune inhibitory CD34+ progenitor cells in the peripheral blood of patients with node positive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and the ability of these CD34+ cells to differentiate into immune stimulatory dendritic cells.

Abstract

This study determined whether mobilization of immune inhibitory CD34+ cells by head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) is most prominent in patients who are node positive and whether these CD34+ cells could differentiate into immune stimulatory dendritic cells. Peripheral blood from patients with head and neck cancer was used to measure the frequency of CD34+ cells and their capacity to differentiate into immune stimulatory dendritic cells. This study demonstrated that increased CD34+ cell levels were most prominent in patients who were node positive and patients with recurrent disease. These CD34+ cells differentiated into dendritic cells that were able to present tetanus toxoid to autologous T-cells. Immune suppressive CD34+ cells that are prominent in patients with HNSCC who are node positive are able to develop into immune stimulatory dendritic cells. Differentiation of tumor-mobilized CD34+ cells into dendritic cells may be an immunotherapeutic approach to stimulate antitumor reactivity.