Changes of proportions of T and B lymphocytes and their activation in peripheral blood of H-ras12V transgenic hepatic tumor in mice

Objective: To investigate the proportions of T and B lymphocytes as well as their activation in peripheral blood cells from H-ras12V transgenic male mice in different progression stages of hepatic tumor, and to explore the mechanism of interaction between hepatocellular carcinoma and lymphocytes.Methods: The proportions of T and B lymphocytes and their activation in peripheral white blood cells from normal healthy C57BL/6J (non-transgenic) and H-ras12V transgenic male mice at ages of 3, 5 and 9 months were detected by FCM. The pathologic changes of liver tissues in H-ras12V transgenic male mice at ages of 3, 5 and 9 months were also examined.Results: No obvious pathologic changes were detected in the liver tissues of H-ras12V transgenic male mice aged 3 months and the normal healthy male mice aged 3, 5 and 9 months. Multiple hepatic nodules and hepatic tumors were found in the liver tissues of H-ras12V transgenic male mice aged 5 and 9 months, respectively. The proportions of B lymphocytes (sIgM+CD23+ and sIgM+B220+ subtypes) in peripheral white blood cells from H-ras12V transgenic male mice aged 3, 5 and 9 months were significantly decreased as compared with that of non-transgenic mice (all P 0.05). However, the overall and activated T lymphocytes were significantly decreased in H-ras12V transgenic male mice aged 9 months as compared with those in non-transgenic mice (both P < 0.05).Conclusion: The proportions and activation of T and B lymphocytes in peripheral white blood cells reduced over the progression of liver cancer. DOI:10.3781/j.issn.1000-7431.2016.11.700