Increased number of suppressor T-cells and impaired IL-2 mediated T-cell function in peripheral blood of gastric cancer patients.
The present study was designed to investigate the mechanisms responsible for suppressed T-cell immunity in gastric cancer patients. The peripheral blood T-cell functions in gastric cancer patients were evaluated by measuring responses to PHA and IL-2, and T-cell subpopulations were assessed by flow cytometry. Both the PHA and IL-2 responses decreased in patients with gastric cancer, although the proportions of CD3+ and CD25+ cells were the same for gastric cancer patients and healthy volunteers. The PHA response, but not that of IL-2, was lower in patients with liver metastasis or peritoneal dissemination than in patients without these conditions. Single regression analysis showed that with lymph node involvement in the disease the IL-2 response was more strongly suppressed than PHA response. The serum level of IAP did not correlate with the response to either PHA or IL-2. The proportion of CD4+ cells was not affected by any factor related to gastric cancer, although CD4+/CD8+ and CD8+11b-/CD8+11b+ ratios did decrease in patients with distant lymph node involvement. These changes may be due to a comparative increase in suppressor cells. These results suggest that gastric cancer patients exhibit impaired IL-2 mediated T-cell function and that the number of suppressor cells may increase with progressive lymph node involvement. These two serial effects may be indeed responsible for the impaired blood T-cell function in patients with gastric cancer.
Tsubono
M
M
First Department of Surgery, Kyoto, University of Medicine, Japan.
Nio
Y
Y
Shiraishi
T
T
Morimoto
H
H
Tseng
C C
CC
Kawabata
K
K
Masai
Y
Y
Fukumoto
M
M
Tobe
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
D007376:Interleukin-2; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; C030193:immunosuppressive acidic protein