Adoptive immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer by expanded activated autologous lymphocytes: a retrospective clinical analysis.
BACKGROUND
To investigate the clinical efficacy of expanded activated autologous lymphocytes (EAAL) in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).


METHODS
A total of 32 SCLC patients were selected and randomly divided into EAAL treatment and control groups, 16 cases in each. EAAL were obtained by proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients followed by phenotype determination. Clinical data of all patients were recorded. Patients of both groups were followed up and the overall survival (OS) were compared retrospectively.


RESULTS
After culture and proliferation in vitro, the percentages of CD3+, CD3+CD8+, CD45RO+, CD28+, CD29+, CD8+CD28+ and CD3+CD16+/CD56+ cells increased markedly (p<0.05). The OS of the EAAL treatment group was longer than that of control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.060, HR=0.487, 95%CI 0.228~1.037). 1- to 3-year survival rates in EAAL treatment group were longer than those in control group, but there was still no significant difference (p>0.05). COX multivariate regression analysis showed that the number of chemotherapy cycles and the application of EAAL immunotherapy were independent prognostic factors for SCLC patients. The OS in females and chemotherapy≤6 cycles were obviously prolonged after EAAL immunotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
In vitro induction and proliferation of EAAL is easy and biologically safe. Generally, EAAL adoptive immunotherapy can evidently prolong the OS of SCLC patients.
First Department of Medical Oncology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China E-mail : dr_jiao@126.com.
Guo-Qing
GQ
Zhang
Fang
F
Li
Sheng-Jie
SJ
Sun
Yi
Y
Hu
Gang
G
Wang
Yu
Y
Wang
Xiao-Xia
XX
Cui
Shun-Chang
SC
Jiao
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate