A Potential Biomarker of Dynamic Change in Peripheral CD45RA - CD27 + CD127 + Central Memory T Cells for Anti-PD-1 Therapy in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

In order to develop a biomarker predicting the efficacy of treatments for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), we evaluated the subpopulation of T cells in ESCC patients treated with chemotherapy (CT), chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and nivolumab therapy (NT). Fifty-five ESCC patients were enrolled in this study, and peripheral blood samples were collected before and after CT or CRT and during NT. Frequencies of memory, differentiated, and exhausted T cells were evaluated using flow cytometry among cStages, treatment strategies, pathological responses of CT/CRT, and during NT. The frequencies of PD-1 + or TIM-3 + CD4 + T cells were significantly higher in patients with cStage IV. PD-1 + CD4 + and TIM-3 + CD8 + T-cell populations were significantly higher in patients treated with CRT but were not associated with treatment response. The frequencies of both CD4 + and CD8 + CD45RA - CD27 + CD127 + central memory T cells (T CM ) were significantly decreased during the course of NT in the progressive disease group. Taken together, the alteration in frequency of CD45RA - CD27 + CD127 + T CM during NT may be a biomarker to predict its therapeutic response in ESCC patients.