title: Evidence for immune defects in breast and lung cancer patients.
abstract: Immunosuppression is often identified in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate several immune parameters for patients with breast and lung cancer. Immunophenotyping analysis showed that the cancer patients investigated had significantly lower absolute numbers of peripheral blood lymphocytes than controls. The immunosuppression was more evident for the breast cancer subgroup. The most severe immune defect noticed was the marked impairment of IFN-gamma secretion. A shift toward the Th2 phenotype as revealed by assessment of intracellular level of IFN-gamma and IL-4 was also noticed. The secretion of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in whole blood cultures was not impaired. Although the proportion of activated cells was slightly lower than in the control group, our results showed that both peripheral T lymphocytes and NK cells of cancer patients could be induced to express early activation marker CD69 after ex vivo mitogen stimulation. In conclusion, our study revealed several immune defects in cancer patients. This suggests that an appropriate immunotherapeutical approach might be used to restore compromised immune functions with beneficial effects on both antitumor and general immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, National Institute for Research and Development in Microbiology and Immunology "Cantacuzino", Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Iuliana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Caras
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grigorescu
authors.forename: Crina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stavaru
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Radu
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mogos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szegli
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salageanu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000737:chemistry; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015847:Interleukin-4; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000099192:CD69 Antigens