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©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Jul 27, 2010; 2(7): 256-260
Published online Jul 27, 2010. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v2.i7.256
Published online Jul 27, 2010. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v2.i7.256
Alpha-fetoprotein specific CD4 and CD8 T cell responses in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Shahriar Behboudi, Stephen P Pereira, UCL Institute of Hepatology, University College London, Royal Free Hospitals, London NW3 2QG, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Behboudi S and Pereira SP contributed equally to the paper.
Supported by a project grant from Association for International Cancer Research
Correspondence to: Shahriar Behboudi, PhD, UCL Institute of Hepatology, University College London, 69-75 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, United Kingdom. s.behboudi@ucl.ac.uk
Telephone: +44-20-76796515 Fax: +44-20-73800405
Received: June 1, 2009
Revised: June 17, 2010
Accepted: June 24, 2010
Published online: July 27, 2010
Revised: June 17, 2010
Accepted: June 24, 2010
Published online: July 27, 2010
Abstract
The presence of CD8 T cell responses to tumor associated antigens have been reported in patients with different malignancies. However, there is very little information on a comparable CD8 and CD4 T cell response to a tumor antigen in liver cancer patients. Here, we re-examine the kinetic and the pattern of T helper 1 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses to alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a tumor rejection antigen in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Then, we discuss the possibility of using AFP-based immunotherapy in combination with necrotizing treatments in HCC patients.