title: The role of circulating dendritic cells in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm with a poor prognosis that might be associated with defective immune function. In this study, we aimed to clarify the role of circulating myeloid dendritic cells (cmDCs) and lymphoid (cl) DCs in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study covered the period from January 2001 to December 2009, and involved 104 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. We measured the number of cmDCs and clDCs using flow cytometry before and after chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy and immuno-chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of the cmDC subset in the unresectable pancreatic cancer patients was significantly lower than in healthy volunteers (p=0.006). There was no difference in the cmDC subset between patients with distant organ metastasis and locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The patients with a high percentage (≥0.23%) of cmDC subset survived longer than patients with a low percentage (<0.23%) (p=0.0030). Multivariate analysis showed that cmDC was the only independent prognostic factor (p=0.0059). The percentage of cmDC subset was significantly increased after immuno-chemotherapy (p=0.0055).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high level of cmDCs is associated with better survival rate and is an independently favorable prognostic factor in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. It is likely that immunochemotherapy increases the number of cmDCs.
authors: Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, 2-3-1, Shin-machi, Hirakata, 573-1191, Japan.
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Hirooka
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Yanagimoto
authors: Sohei
authors: S
authors: Satoi
authors: Tomohisa
authors: T
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Hideyoshi
authors: H
authors: Toyokawa
authors: So
authors: S
authors: Yamaki
authors: Rintaro
authors: R
authors: Yui
authors: Kentaro
authors: K
authors: Inoue
authors: Taku
authors: T
authors: Michiura
authors: A-Hon
authors: AH
authors: Kwon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D022423:Myeloid Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000276:immunology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate