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Frequencies and role of regulatory T cells in patients with (pre)malignant cervical neoplasia

Oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV)‐infection is crucial for developing cervical cancer and its precursor lesions [cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)]. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) might be involved in the failure of the immune system to control the development of HPV‐induced cancer. We investigated frequencies, phenotype and activity of Tregs in patients with cervical neoplasia. CIN and cervical cancer patients showed increased CD4+/CD25high T cell frequencies in peripheral blood and CD4+ T cell fraction. These CD4+/CD25high T cells represent Tregs as demonstrated by their low proliferation rate, low interferon (IFN)‐γ/interleukin (IL)‐10 ratio, high expression of CD45RO, GITR, CTLA‐4, forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) and low CD45RA expression. Moreover, in HPV16+ cervical cancer patients, in‐vitro depletion of CD25+ T cells resulted in increased IFN‐γ T cell responses against HPV16 E6‐ and E7 peptides. Thus, increased frequencies of Tregs in cervical cancer patients may indeed suppress HPV‐specific immunity. Longitudinal analysis of CD4+/CD25high T cell frequencies in patients showed a modest decline 1 year after curative surgery or chemoradiation. This study demonstrates increased frequencies and suppressive activity of Tregs in cervical cancer. These results imply that Tregs may suppress the immune control of cervical neoplasia and furthermore that suppression of immunity by Tregs will be another hurdle to overcome in therapeutic immunization strategies against cervical neoplasia.