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.