title: Effects of therapies of cervical cancer on the count and function of peripheral lymphocytes.
abstract: In 57 patients with stage I b cervical cancer, treated by three different methods, the total lymphocyte count, T- and B-cell counts and PHA-induced lymphocyte blast transformation were determined before and immediately after overall treatment as well as at 6-month intervals till 2.5 years after treatment. Exclusively applied radiotherapy caused, in stage I b cervical cancer patients a slight decrease in the total lymphocyte and T-cell counts, which disappeared at 3-6 months after treatment, as well as a very significant drop in the B-cell count, persisting even 2.5 years after treatment. The combined method comprising brachytherapy and surgery proved to least damage the non-specific cell-mediated immunity, whereas the method combining brachy- and teletherapy with surgery exerted the most harmful effect on this immunity. All three therapeutic methods compared led to a significant long-term decrease in the circulating B-cell count. It seems that whereas the operative procedure did not influence the cell-mediated immunity, it intensified the brachytherapy-caused decrease in the B-cell count.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncological Gynaecology, Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kietlinska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001918:Brachytherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000528:radiation effects; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000528:radiation effects; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000528:radiation effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D011867:Radioisotope Teletherapy; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000532:radiotherapy