title: Circulating myeloid dendritic cells as prognostic factors in patients with pancreatic cancer who have undergone surgical resection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm with poor prognosis that might be associated with defective immune function. We aimed to determine the influence on survival of circulating myeloid dendritic cells (c-m-DCs), circulating lymphoid DCs (c-l-DCs), and DCs within the tumor tissue in patients with pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between December 2001 and June 2006, of a total of 110 patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, 42 underwent pancreatectomy, and 68 had unresectable disease. Numbers of c-m-DCs and c-l-DCs were assessed by flow cytometry, and DCs in the tumor tissue by immunohistochemical staining with anti-fascin mAb.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of the c-m-DCs subset in pancreatic cancer patients was significantly lower than in healthy volunteers, and the similar finding was observed between patients who underwent surgical resection and non-resection. Patients with a high percentage of c-m-DCs or with many DCs accumulated in the cancer tissue survived longer than patients with a low percentage or low number in peripheral blood or the tumor, respectively. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between c-m-DCs within peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the number of DCs per field in the cancer tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative c-m-DCs levels in the PBMC of patients with pancreatic cancer and DCs counts in the cancer tissue can be a prognostic factor after surgical resection. Modulating the distribution of DCs may be an effective therapy in pancreatic cancer patients with a dismal prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan. yamamtom@hirakata.kmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yanagimoto
authors.forename: Sohei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satoi
authors.forename: Hideyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toyokawa
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamao
authors.forename: Songtae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Naoyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Terakawa
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: A-Hon
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis