T-helper (Th)1/Th2 imbalance in patients with previously untreated B-cell diffuse large cell lymphoma.
T-helper (Th)1/Th2 imbalance has been observed in a variety of pathological conditions, including malignant diseases. We evaluated the Th1/Th2 balance in peripheral blood Th cells by means of intracellular cytokine analysis in 19 patients with previously untreated B-cell diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL) and in 18 patients with B-cell DLCL who had achieved complete remission (CR) after chemotherapy. The mean percentage of Th2 in CD4 cells in patients with DLCL (5.00 +/- 2.20) and that of Th1 in CD4+ cells in patients in CR (32.42 +/- 11.30) were significantly increased in comparison with those in healthy volunteers, respectively (Th1; 23.02 +/- 9.45, Th2; 3.25 +/- 0.90; P<0.01). The mean ratio of Th1/Th2 was significantly lower in patients with DLCL (4.74 +/- 0.52) than in patients in CR (9.31 +/- 1.06; P<0.01) and in healthy volunteers (7.25 +/- 0.65; P<0.01). We conclude that the Th1/Th2 balance was polarized to Th2 in untreated DLCL patients and to Th1 in patients in CR, which suggests that a Th1/Th2 imbalance could play a role in lymphomagenesis and durable remission.
Mori
T
T
Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. tmori@mc.med.keio.ac.jp
Takada
R
R
Watanabe
R
R
Okamoto
S
S
Ikeda
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology