[Perioperative changes of cellular immune response of patients with esophageal carcinoma evaluated through detecting AgNOR content in peripheral blood T lymphocytes and T cell subsets].
OBJECTIVE
Patients with esophageal carcinoma often have immunosuppression. This study was to detect perioperative argyrophil nucleolar orgnizer region (AgNOR) content in peripheral blood T lymphocytes and T cell subsets of patients with esophageal carcinoma, investigate the influences of cellular immune condition and surgery on cellular immune function of these patients.


METHODS
Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 75 healthy adults and 70 patients with esophageal carcinoma before surgery, 3 and 9 days after surgery. AgNOR content in peripheral blood T lymphocytes was measured by tumor immune microphotometry; T cell subsets was measured by flow cytometry.


RESULTS
Before operation, AgNOR content, proportions of CD3(+)CD8(+) and CD8(+)CD25(+) T cells were significantly lower in patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001); proportions of CD3(+) and CD3(+)CD4(+) T cells of patients were not significantly different from that of healthy controls (P > 0.05); proportions of CD4(+)CD25(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells were significantly higher in patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.05). In peripheral blood T lymphocytes of the patients after operation, AgNOR content, CD3(+), CD3(+)CD4+(+), and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells were the lowest at the 3rd day, and the highest at the 9th day; CD3(+)CD8(+), CD4(+)CD25(+), and CD8+CD25+ T cells gradually ascended from the 3rd day. At the 9th day after operation, CD3(+) and CD3(+)CD4(+) T cells of patients were not significantly different from that of healthy controls (P> 0.05); AgNOR content, CD3(+)CD8(+) and CD8(+)CD25(+) T cells were still lower in patients than in healthy controls (P<0.05); CD4(+)CD25(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells were still higher in patients than in healthy controls (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Surgery injure may cause temporary cellular immunosuppression in patients with esophageal carcinoma, which slowly recovers early after operation.
Wang
Jun-Ye
JY
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, PR China.
Dai
Shu-Qin
SQ
Ye
Wen-Feng
WF
Long
Hao
H
Lin
Peng
P
Li
Bao-Jiang
BJ
Rong
Tie-Hua
TH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear / Q000097:blood*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000097:blood; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C051963:nucleolar organizer region associated proteins