title: Selective suppression of cytokine secretion in whole blood cell cultures of patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: We have investigated the secretion of interferon alpha (IFN-alpha), IFN-gamma, interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha), IL-1beta, IL-2 and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in whole blood cell cultures (WBCCs) of colorectal cancer patients upon mitogen stimulation. Whereas the values for IL-1beta and TNF-alpha remained virtually unchanged in comparison with healthy control subjects, WBCCs of colorectal cancer patients secreted significantly lower amounts of IFN-alpha (P < 0.005), IFN-gamma (P < 0.0001), IL-1alpha (P < 0.0001) and IL-2 (P < 0.05). This reduction correlated with the progression of the disease. The total leucocyte and monocyte population were almost identical in both groups. In contrast, a dramatic depletion of lymphocytes was observed in colorectal cancer patients, which affected both lymphocyte counts (P < 0.0005) and their distribution (P < 0.0001). Our results suggest a selective suppression of cytokines in colorectal cancer patients that is related to tumour burden. Several mechanisms might account for this phenomenon, one of which might be lymphocyte depletion.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Animal Breeding, Genecenter, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lahm
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schindel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frikart
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cerottini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Givel
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma