Crucial Role of Lymphocytes in the Therapeutic Efficacy of Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- 1Division of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, 5, Fu-Hsing Street, Linkou, Taoyuan 333423, Taiwan
- 2College of Medicine, Cheng-Gung University, Taoyuan 333423, Taiwan
Abstract
At present, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with limited therapeutic effects. Dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy may be a feasible option following ICI/TKI therapy to increase patient survival. Seventy patients with HCC who received DC therapy were included in this study. DCs were propagated from peripheral blood monocytes and pulsed with tumor lysate. The phenotypes of peripheral white blood cells were analyzed prior to and after DC therapy. Among the 70 patients examined, 11 (15.7%) had an objective response (group A), 26 (37.1%) had stable disease and minor regression (group B), 21 (30.0%) had stable disease and minor progression (group C), and 12 (17.1%) had progressive disease (group D). Prior to DC therapy, patients in group A had a higher frequency of CD8+ T-cells and a lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio than patients in the other groups. After DC therapy, patients in groups A and B exhibited a significant increase or tendency to increase in the frequencies of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cells. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 90.9%, 81.8%, and 63.3%, respectively, for group A patients; 76.9%, 50.5%, and 26.9% for group B patients, which were significantly better than the rates of 42.9%, 9.5%, and 4.8% for group C patients and 25%, 8.3%, and 0% for group D patients (p < 0.001). In conclusion, DC therapy following ICI/TKI therapy is feasible for patients with advanced HCC. Patients with objective or minor responses to DC therapy exhibited an increased frequency of T-cells and improved survival.
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BibTeX
@article{lee2026crucial,
title = {{Crucial Role of Lymphocytes in the Therapeutic Efficacy of Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma}},
author = {Wei-Chen Lee and Yin Lai and Hao-Chien Hung and Jin-Chiao Lee and Yu-Chao Wang and Chih-Hsien Cheng and Tsung-Han Wu and Chen-Fang Lee and Ting-Jung Wu and Hong-Shiue Chou and Kun-Ming Chan},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27188354},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/18/8354},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Crucial Role of Lymphocytes in the Therapeutic Efficacy of Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
AU - Wei-Chen Lee
AU - Yin Lai
AU - Hao-Chien Hung
AU - Jin-Chiao Lee
AU - Yu-Chao Wang
AU - Chih-Hsien Cheng
AU - Tsung-Han Wu
AU - Chen-Fang Lee
AU - Ting-Jung Wu
AU - Hong-Shiue Chou
AU - Kun-Ming Chan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/19
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27188354
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/18/8354
AB - At present, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with limited therapeutic effects. Dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy may be a feasible option following ICI/TKI therapy to increase patient survival. Seventy patients with HCC who received DC therapy were included in this study. DCs were propagated from peripheral blood monocytes and pulsed with tumor lysate. The phenotypes of peripheral white blood cells were analyzed prior to and after DC therapy. Among the 70 patients examined, 11 (15.7%) had an objective response (group A), 26 (37.1%) had stable disease and minor regression (group B), 21 (30.0%) had stable disease and minor progression (group C), and 12 (17.1%) had progressive disease (group D). Prior to DC therapy, patients in group A had a higher frequency of CD8+ T-cells and a lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio than patients in the other groups. After DC therapy, patients in groups A and B exhibited a significant increase or tendency to increase in the frequencies of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cells. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 90.9%, 81.8%, and 63.3%, respectively, for group A patients; 76.9%, 50.5%, and 26.9% for group B patients, which were significantly better than the rates of 42.9%, 9.5%, and 4.8% for group C patients and 25%, 8.3%, and 0% for group D patients (p < 0.001). In conclusion, DC therapy following ICI/TKI therapy is feasible for patients with advanced HCC. Patients with objective or minor responses to DC therapy exhibited an increased frequency of T-cells and improved survival.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -