%0 Journal Article
%T Dexamethasone co-medication in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy causes substantial immunomodulatory effects with implications for chemo-immunotherapy strategies
%A Alison M. McDonnell
%A Alistair M. Cook
%A Anna K. Nowak
%A Richard A. Lake
%J Archive of "Oncoimmunology".
%D 2016
%R 10.1080/2162402X.2015.1066062
%X The glucocorticoid (GC) steroid dexamethasone (Dex) is used as a supportive care co-medication for cancer patients undergoing standard care pemetrexed/platinum doublet chemotherapy. As trials for new cancer immunotherapy treatments increase in prevalence, it is important to track the immunological changes induced by co-medications commonly used in the clinic, but not specifically included in trial design or in pre-clinical models. Here, we document a number of Dex -induced immunological effects, including a large-scale lymphodepletive effect particularly affecting CD4+ T cells but also CD8+ T cells. The proportion of regulatory T cells within the CD4+ compartment did not change after Dex was administered, however a significant increase in proliferation and activation of regulatory T cells was observed. We also noted Dex -induced proportional changes in dendritic cell (DC) subtypes. We discuss these immunological effects in the context of chemoimmunotherapy strategies, and suggest a number of considerations to be taken into account when designing future studies where Dex and other GCs may be in use
%K Immunotherapy
%K glucocorticoid
%K lymphodepletion
%K mesothelioma
%K dendritic cell
%K T cell
%K flow cytometry
%K treg
%U https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4839331/