Adverse effects of intraportal chemotherapy on natural killer cell activity in colorectal cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
Adjuvant intraportal chemotherapy has been used with a view to prevent the development of metachronous hepatic metastases following curative resection for colorectal cancer. To evaluate the effects of this therapy on systemic antitumor immunological activity, 35 colorectal cancer patients who underwent curative resection were investigated.


METHODS
Among them. 19 had adjuvant intraportal chemotherapy with mitomycin C and 5-fluorouracil (treated group) and 16 had no chemotherapy (untreated group). Natural killer (NK) cell activity, lymphocyte subpopulations, and immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) in the peripheral blood were measured serially before and after operation, and the values were compared between the two groups.


RESULTS
The NK cell activity and the percentages of CD16 positive and CD56 positive cells were markedly reduced in the treated group postoperatively. Significant difference was also observed between the two groups on the 4th postoperative day in regard to NK cell activity and CD56 positive cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Intraportal chemotherapy in our study reduced the NK cell activity and its population in the peripheral blood.
Rafique
M
M
Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
Adachi
W
W
Koike
S
S
Kajikawa
S
S
Yazawa
K
K
Sugenoya
A
A
Amano
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000378:metabolism
D019002:CD56 Antigen; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D017452:Receptors, IgG; C030193:immunosuppressive acidic protein; D016685:Mitomycin; D005472:Fluorouracil