title: The effect of radiation therapy on immune function in patients with squamous cell lung carcinoma.
abstract: The immune response is impaired in patients with malignancy, and radiation therapy (RT) can exacerbate the cancer induced-attenuation of immune response. In order to search for the fine mechanisms behind the RT-induced attenuation of cell-mediated immune response, we measured the number of lymphocytes in peripheral blood, its subsets, and lymphoblast transformation induced by phytohemagglutinin (PHA), purified protein derivatives (PPD), mitogenic monoclonal antibody anti-CD3, and mitogenic combination of anti-CD2 antibodies 9-1 and 9.6 before and after RT in 19 patients with squamous cell lung cancer. Radiation therapy significantly decreased the total numbers of lymphocytes, CD-3, CD-4, and CD8-positive lymphocytes in peripheral blood. However, RT did not change the percentages of lymphocytes and its subsets. Radiation therapy increased the percentage of interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor-positive lymphocytes, and RT significantly decreased in vitro lymphoblast transformation by PHA, PPD, or monoclonal antibodies to T-cell surface antigens (anti-CD2 or anti-CD3). In vitro incubation with IL-2 did not increase lymphoblast transformation by anti-CD3 before RT but significantly increased after RT. In conclusion, we suggest that one of the fine mechanisms behind the RT-induced suppression of immune responsiveness of patients with lung cancer is a defect in IL-2 synthesis by lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uh
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D018801:CD2 Antigens; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000528:radiation effects; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D018801:CD2 Antigens; D017252:CD3 Complex; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D014373:Tuberculin