title: Immunological markers of anti-tumor dendritic cells vaccine efficiency in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the quantitative and functional status of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer during DC-vaccine therapy and identify the most informative immunological parameters which are associated with clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted within the framework of randomized phase III clinical trial of DC-vaccine efficacy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Quantitative composition of peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined by flow cytometry. Cytokines mRNA expression level was estimated using real-time RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our study the most pronounced changes in the immune system have been defined after fourth DC-vaccine injection. Immunologic features such as reduction the MIP-1α mRNA expression level, increasing the RANTES mRNA expression level and NK-cells count, retention CD4/CD8 ratio at physiological level were associated with favorable clinical outcome after DC-immunotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immunological markers established in our investigation can be used for estimation of DC-immunotherapy efficiency. The results of our research are very promising, but these data should be confirmed in further studies with a large cohort of patients.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Kyiv, 03022, Ukraine. oksanaskachkova@ukr.net
authors.forename: O V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Skachkova
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Khranovska
authors.forename: O I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Gorbach
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Svergun
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Sydor
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Nikulina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D054405:Chemokine CCL3 / Q000235:genetics; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000235:genetics; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C515429:CCL3 protein, human; C483024:CCL5 protein, human; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D054405:Chemokine CCL3; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D016207:Cytokines; D007371:Interferon-gamma