Considerando que processos cruciais de diferenciação e maturação das células dendríticas (DCs) são regulados pelo fator de transcrição nuclear kappa B (NF-κB), nos propusemos a estudar esta via em DCs derivadas de monócitos de pacientes com câncer de mama, partindo da hipótese de que alterações desta via contribuam, nesses indivíduos, para a geração de DCs com fenótipo e função alterados, levando ao escape tumoral. A análise da presença de NF-κB no núcleo de monócitos, DCs imaturas (iDCs) e maduras indicou que as pacientes falham em modular tal fator de transcrição, de modo que a quantidade de NF-κB no núcleo de iDCs de pacientes supera os níveis encontrados em controles, fenômeno possivelmente decorrente de alterações nas proteínas inibidoras do NF-κB em pacientes. Observou-se menor frequência de células CD86⁺, CD83⁺ e HLA-DR⁺ (p < 0,05) ao final das culturas das pacientes, e aumento na concentração de IL-8 no sobrenadante das culturas. Coletivamente, estes dados corroboram a hipótese formulada.

Considering that crucial processes of differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) are regulated by nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), we proposed to study this pathway in monocyte-derived DCs from breast cancer patients, based on the hypothesis that alterations in such pathway may contribute in these individuals to the generation of DCs having phenotypic and functional changes, leading to tumor escape. The analysis of the presence of NF-κB in the nucleus of monocytes, immature and mature DCs indicated that patients fail to modulate this transcription factor, so that the amount of NF-κB in the nucleus of iDCs from patients exceeds levels found in controls, a phenomenon possibly due to alterations in inhibitory proteins of NF-κB in patients. It was also observed diminished frequency of CD86⁺, CD83⁺ and HLA-DR⁺ cells (p <0.05) at the end of the patients cultures, as well as increased IL-8 concentration in the culture supernatants. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis previously formulated.