CELL INTELLIGENCE · 肿瘤细胞治疗研究

In this study, we characterized the immune landscape of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 20 newly diagnosed NKTCL patients and 12 healthy donors using single-cell RNA sequencing and confirmed our results through flow cytometry and PrimeFlow.

We identified a distinct proliferative-NK/T (Proli-NK/T) cell subset in NKTCL, characterized by high expression of cell cycle-related genes but lacking a malignant phenotype. Additionally, we observed a reduction in total and classical memory B cells, accompanied by enrichment of apoptosis and cell differentiation signatures. NK cells showed increased expression of HLA class II and activation markers, along with enhanced predicted interactions with CD4 + T cells. The decrease of naive CD4 + T cells might imply their skewed differentiation into Th1 and Th17 cells, while expansion of granzyme K (GZMK + )-expressing CD8 + central memory T cells was associated with interferon-γ-driven responses. Patients with a high intracellular EBV load exhibited accumulation of highly cytotoxic CD56 dim _PTPRCAP NK cells and GZMK + GZMB + CD8 + effector memory T cells, along with a marked depletion of memory B cells. This implies a correlation between intracellular EBV burden and peripheral immune dysregulation in NKTCL.

We have uncovered the dynamic changes in PBMCs of newly diagnosed NK/T cell lymphoma patients and identified specific characteristics in patients with high intracellular EBV levels. Our findings provide new insights into the immunopathogenesis of NKTCL, offering valuable information for immune-based stratification and the development of therapeutic strategies.