CD83+ dendritic cells and Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in primary lesions and regional lymph nodes are inversely correlated with prognosis of gastric cancer

Background Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells that are central to the regulation, maturation, and maintenance of the cellular immune response against cancer. In contrast, CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a central role in self-tolerance and suppress antitumor immunity. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance of mature CD83 + DCs and Foxp3 + Tregs in the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes from the viewpoint of the two opposing players in the immune responses. Methods We investigated, immunohistochemically, the density of CD83 + DCs and Foxp3 + Tregs in primary lesions of gastric cancer ( n = 123), as well as in regional lymph nodes with ( n = 40) or without metastasis ( n = 40). Results Decreased density of CD83 + DCs and increased density of Foxp3 + Tregs were observed in the primary tumor and metastatic lymph nodes. Density was significantly correlated with certain clinicopathological features. Poor prognosis was observed in patients with a low density of CD83 + DCs and a high density of Foxp3 + Tregs in primary lesions. For patients with metastatic lymph nodes, the density of CD83 + DCs in negative lymph nodes was found to be an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. Conclusion The density of CD83 + DCs and Foxp3 + Tregs was inversely correlated with tumor progression and reflected the prognosis of gastric cancer.