title: Role of conventional treatments on circulating and monocyte-derived dendritic cells in colorectal cancer.
abstract: We investigated the effects of metastasis, surgery and chemotherapy on both circulating dendritic cells (DCs) and monocyte-derived-DCs (MoDCs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Metastatic or nonmetastatic CRC patients had significantly reduced DC subsets compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.001). These cells were significantly higher in metastatic than in nonmetastatic patients. MoDCs were significantly lower in metastatic than healthy and nonmetastatic subjects (p < 0.001). Surgically treated patients had nearly one-half circulating DC subsets compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.001) while no difference was found between unoperated and healthy subjects. MoDCs obtained from tumor-bearing were significantly higher than in operated subjects. In both cases, MoDCs were significantly lower than in healthy subjects (p < 0.001). Circulating DCs and MoDCs were significantly lower in CRC patients, with or without chemotherapy, compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.001). Compared to untreated, chemotherapy-treated patients had 30% fewer DC subsets and lower MoDCs. Characterization of circulating DC subsets and MoDCs may elucidate CRC patients' immune system status.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Vascular Pharmacology, Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bellik
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerlini
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parenti
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ledda
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pimpinelli
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Desiree
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pantalone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control