Expression and clinical significance of T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 and programmed death-1 on T lymphocytes of peripheral blood in breast invasive ductal carcinoma patients

Objective To explore the expression of T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (Tim-3)and programmed death-1(PD-1) on T lymphocytes in breast invasive ductal carcinoma patients and their clinical significance. Methods All peripheral blood of 40 breast cancer patients and 10 healthy people was obtained. The expressions of TIM-1 and PD-1 on T lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry, and the relationship between them and clinical pathological features were analyzed. Results The frequency of TIM-3 cells among T lymphocytes in breast cancer patients peripheral blood was significantly higher than that in healthy people: (2.01 ± 0.62)% vs. (0.26 ± 0.08)%, P=0.03. The frequency of TIM-3 cells among T lymphocytes in peripheral blood of low differentiated breast cancer patients was also higher than that in middle-high differentiated patients: (4.45 ± 1.22)% vs. (1.02 ± 0.27)%, P = 0.00. The number of PD-1 and Tim-3 cells showed a significant positive correlation (r=0.47, P = 0.02). Conclusions TIM-3 cells may suppress immune to tumor cells and accelerate the development of breast cancer.