Assessment of host immune response in breast cancer patients.
Cell-mediated immune status of breast cancer patients was evaluated by percentage of T gamma cells, natural killer (NK) activity, and the augmentation of NK cells by interferon. The patients with breast cancer did not show impaired cell-mediated immune responses until they were in the late stage of cancer. Sixty-one patients with breast cancer revealed higher proportions of T gamma cells measured by a new method utilizing microplate compared with those of 50 healthy subjects. Reduced NK activity was seen in the patients with stage III or IV breast cancer. Natural cytotoxicity against K-562 target cells was strongly augmentated by treatment with interferon in vitro for 2 hr, both in the patients with breast cancer and in healthy donors, except for far advanced breast cancer patients. A negative correlation between the percentage of T gamma cells and T cell was significant in the patients with primary breast cancer prior to radical mastectomy.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*
D007370:Interferon Type I