[Artesunate upregulates the expression of CD39, CD279 and granzyme B in CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes of patients with lung cancer].

Objective To investigate the effect of artesunate (ART) on T lymphocyte immune function in patients with lung cancer. Methods Fifteen healthy people (NC group) and twenty-one lung cancer patients (LC group) were randomly selected to collect their clinical information and isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). After 24 hour-treatment of PBMCs with ART, the median lethal concentration (LC50) and the optimal concentration of ART induced high expression of CD39 and CD279 in T cell membrane were determined by flow cytometry (FCM). Following the induction of ART with the best concentration, the expression levels of CD39 and CD279 on CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in NC group, and the expression levels of CD39, CD279, CD38, CD28, granzyme B (GrzB), perforin (PerF), interferon γ(IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) on CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in LC group were detected by FCM. Results LC50 and optimal concentration of ART were 522 μmol/L and 200 μmol/L, respectively. Compared with the NC group, the baseline expression levels of CD279 on CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in LC group was significantly higher. Moreover, the expression levels of CD39 increased significantly after inducing 200 μmol/L ART, in the CD8+ and CD4+ T cell of NC groups; In CD8+ and CD4+ T cells of LC group, the expression of CD39, CD279 and GrzB increased significantly, while that of IL-2 decreased markedly. No significant difference was detected in the expression levels of CD38, CD28, IFN-γ and PerF. The clinical factors that promote the expression of CD39 on CD8+ T cells induced by ART showed no radiotherapy. The clinical factors that promote the expression of CD279 on CD8+ T cells induced by ART include age>60 years old, lymphocyte count>1.26×109/L, NLR<5, radiotherapy, 0.29×109/L ≤monocyte count ≤0.95×109/L. Conclusion The expression of CD279 on T lymphocytes is higher in lung cancer patients; ART induces the upregulation of CD8+ and CD4+T cells CD39, CD279 and GrzB in lung cancer patients, thus regulating the immune function of T cell subsets.