Overexpression of interleukin-10 in sentinel lymph node with breast cancer

Background: In breast carcinoma, identification of tumor cells in the sentinel lymph nodes is a predictor of the tumor's metastatic potential. Sentinel lymph node may be targeted not only by tumor cell metastasis but also by cytokines from the emergence of antitumor immune responses. Methods: Between February 2003 and February 2004, the investigator evaluated 38 cases that underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy at the Samsung Medical Center. Eighty paraffin-embedded sections, 49 sentinel, and 31 nonsentinel lymph node, from breast carcinoma without lymphatic metastases were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction to evaluate the cytokine profile (interferon-γ, interleukin-2, interleukin-10 and interleukin-12) for the T cell response. Results: A higher expression of interleukin-10 was observed in sentinel lymph node than in nonsentinel lymph node (P = 0.03). The expressions of interferon-γ, interleukin-2, and interleukin-12 were similar between sentinel and nonsentinel lymph node. Conclusions: Theses results indicate that T cell response was downregulated by interleukin-10 overexpression in sentinel lymph node with breast cancer.