Circulating immune profile in patients with pre-cancer and cancer of the cervix: a cross sectional study among Indian women.
To fully understand immune competence in subjects with precancerous and cancerous lesions of the uterine cervix, various markers of T and B cells in peripheral blood were evaluated. The cellular measures were the absolute numbers of CD2, CD3, CD22, CD25, CD4, CD8 and CD4/CD8 T cell ratio and serologic measures were the levels of cellular products ie interleukin-2 (IL-2) and soluble interleukin-2 receptors (SIL2-R). Eighty-five subjects were analysed, and diagnosed histologically as CIN (n = 33) and invasive cancer (n = 22). Thirty women with normal Pap test results served as controls. Results on cellular markers showed a significant decrease in peripheral blood lymphocyte counts in patients with higher grades of cervical lesions as compared to controls (CIN III P < 0.05 and invasive cancer P < 0.001). Similar trends were observed for CD22 cell counts (P < 0.001). A consistent decrease was observed for CD2 positive T lymphocytes in patients with higher grade cervical lesions only. In addition, a decrease in CD4-T cells with a relative increase in CD8 and CD25 cell count was observed in these groups of patients, leading to a considerable reduction in CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio. Results obtained on soluble cellular products revealed that serum levels of IL-2 and SIL2-R in patient groups were significantly higher than controls (P < 0.001). Preliminary findings indicated a host-vested cellular impairment, evidenced by immune deficit and immune-stimulation, in women with pre-cancer and cancerous lesions of the cervix.
Gupta
M M
MM
Division of Immunology and Virology, Institute of Cytology & Preventive Oncology (ICMR), India.
Jain
R
R
Parashari
A
A
Singh
V
V
Sharma
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000276:immunology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2