Prognostic significance of T helper 1 and 2 and T cytotoxic 1 and 2 cells in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
We report the prognostic significance of peripheral and tumor-infiltrating Th1, Th2, Tc1 and Tc2 cells in lung cancer patients.


METHODS
We evaluated the rates of interferon (IFN)-gamma+/CD4+ cells (Th1), interleukin (IL)-4+ /CD4+ cells (Th2), IFN-gamma+/CD8+ cells (Tc1), IL-4+ /CD8+ cells (Tc2), and the ratio of Th1 to Th2 and that of Tc1 to Tc2 among peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), in 51 consecutive patients with non-small cell lung cancer, by detecting the intracellular cytokine production using three-color flow cytometry.


RESULTS
Patients with a low Th1/Th2 ratio in peripheral blood lymphocytes had a significantly better prognosis than those with a high Th1/Th2 ratio (5-year survival rate: low: 74.7% vs. high: 50.3%; p=0.038). Patients with a low Th1/Th2 ratio in peripheral blood had a significantly better prognosis than those with a high Th1/Th2 ratio in pathological Stage II or III (5-year survival rate: low: 66.6% vs. high: 18.2%; p=0.018).


CONCLUSIONS
A high Th1/Th2 ratio in peripheral blood is a negative prognostic factor, especially in pathological Stage II or III non-small cell lung cancer patients.
Ito
Norimasa
N
Organ Regeneration Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishimachi, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504, Japan. noitou@hotmail.co.jp
Suzuki
Yoshimasa
Y
Taniguchi
Yuji
Y
Ishiguro
Kiyosuke
K
Nakamura
Hiroshige
H
Ohgi
Shigetsugu
S
D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*