title: Adoptive cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with breast cancer: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of dendritic cells (DC) alone, cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells alone and the combination of DC and CIK cells in the treatment of breast cancer, we performed a systemic review of the relevant published clinical studies, collectively referred to as DC-CIK cell therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six hundred thirty-three patients with breast cancer were assigned to cohorts, and a meta-analysis was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatment of breast cancer with DC-CIK cells was associated with a significantly improved 1-year survival (P = 0.0001). The Karnofsky performance status scale of the patients treated with DC-CIK cells was significantly improved compared with that of the non-DC-CIK group (P < 0.0001). The percentage of T cells (CD3(+), CD4(+) and CD4(+)CD8(+)), CD16(+) monocytes, and CD3(+)CD56(+) natural killer T cells in the peripheral blood of cancer patients was significantly increased (P ≤ 0.05), whereas the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells was not significantly decreased (P = 0.32) in the DC-CIK treatment group compared with the non-DC-CIK group. The levels of interleukin-2, interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, and nucleolar organizer region protein in the peripheral blood of cancer patients, which reflect immune function, were significantly increased (P < 0.001) after DC-CIK cell treatment. Furthermore, after DC-CIK treatment, the average levels of the alpha-fetoprotein, cancer antigen embryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen tumor markers were decreased (P < 0.00001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DC-CIK cell therapy markedly prolongs survival time, enhances immune function, and improves the efficacy of the treatment of breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, China. Electronic address: zhxwang18@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Zheng-Xu
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Xia
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Duo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Yu-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D055612:Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*
keywords: breast cancer; cytokine-induced killer cells; dendritic cells; immunotherapy; meta-analysis