Elevated circulating CD19+ lymphocytes predict survival advantage in patients with gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND
Circulating lymphocyte subsets reflect the immunological status and might therefore be a prognostic indicator in cancer patients. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical significance of circulating lymphocyte subset in gastric cancer (GC) cases.


METHODS
A retrospective study on a prevalent cohort of 846 GC patients hospitalized at Hospital from Aug 2006 to Jul 2010 was conducted. We calculated the patient's disease free survival (DFS) after first hospital admission, and hazard ratios (HR) from the Cox proportional hazards model.


RESULTS
Our findings indicated a significantly decreased percentage of CD3+, and CD8+ cells, a significantly increased proportion of CD4+, CD19+, CD44+, CD25+, NK cells, and an increased CD4+/CD8+ ratio in GC patients as compared with healthy controls (all P<0.05). Alteration of lymphocyte subsets was positively correlated with sex, age, smoking, tumor stage and distant metastasis of GC patients (all P<0.05). Follow-up analysis indicated significantly higher DFS for patients with high circulating CD19+ lymphocytes compared to those with low CD19+ lymphocytes (P=0.037), with CD19+ showing an important cutoff of 7.91± 2.98%.


CONCLUSIONS
Circulating lymphocyte subsets in GC patients are significantly changed, and elevated CD19+ cells may predict a favorable survival.
Zhejiang Cancer Research Institute, Hangzhou, China.
Qi-Ming
QM
Yu
Chuan-Ding
CD
Yu
Zhi-Qiang
ZQ
Ling
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult
D018941:Antigens, CD19