Perioperative cimetidine administration promotes peripheral blood lymphocytes and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in patients with gastrointestinal cancer: Results of a randomized controlled clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of perioperative administration of cimetidine (CIM) on peripheral blood lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer.


METHODS
Forty-nine GI cancer patients were randomized into treatment group, who took CIM in perioperative period, and control group, who did not take the drug. The treatment was initiated 7 days before operation and continued for 10 days after surgery. At baseline examination before operation, on the 2nd and 10th postoperative days, total T lymphocytes, T helper cells, T suppressor cells, and NK cells in peripheral blood were measured respectively by immunocytochemical method using mouse-anti human CD(3), CD(4), CD(8) and CD(57) monoclonal antibodies. Blood samples from 20 healthy volunteers were treated in the same way as normal controls. Surgical specimens were examined during routine histopathological evaluation for the presence of TIL in tumor margin. Immunohistochemical study was performed to measure the proportion of T and B lymphocytes in TIL population. T and B lymphocytes were detected respectively using mouse-anti-human CD(3) and CD(20) monoclonal antibodies.


RESULTS
In comparison with normal controls, both the treatment and control groups had decreased T cells, T helper cells and NK cells at baseline. In control group, total T cells, T helper cells and NK cells declined continuously with the disease progression and the decrease became more obvious after operation. From baseline to the 2nd postoperative day, the proportion of total T cells, T helper cells, and NK cells went down from 60.5+/-4.6% to 56.2+/-3.8%, 33.4+/-3.7% to 28.1+/-3.4%, and 15.0+/-2.8% to 14.2+/-2.2%, respectively. On the other hand, there were significant improvements in these parameters after CIM treatment. On the 10th postoperative day, the treatment group had significantly higher percentages of total T cells, T helper cells and NK cells than control group. Moreover, CIM treatment also boosted TIL response, as was reflected by findings that 68% (17/25) of the patients in treatment group had significant TIL responses and only 25% (6/24) of the cases had discernible TIL responses (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Perioperative application of CIM to GI cancer patients could help restore the diminished cellular immunity induced by tumor burden and surgical maneuver. The drug could also boost TIL responses to tumor. These effects suggest that the drug be used as an immunomodulator for GI cancer patients.
Lin
Cong-Yao
CY
Department of Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, 169 Dong Hu Rd, Wuhan 430073, Hubei Province, China. liyansd@hotmail.com
Bai
De-Jiao
DJ
Yuan
Hong-Yin
HY
Wang
Kun
K
Yang
Guo-Liang
GL
Hu
Ming-Bai
MB
Wu
Zhou-Qing
ZQ
Li
Yan
Y
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019990:Perioperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D002927:Cimetidine