title: Effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on perioperative immune function of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.
abstract: This study aims to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) on perioperative immune function during surgery to treat resectable locally advanced esophageal cancer. Records were retrospectively analyzed for 220 patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, of whom 112 received surgery alone and 98 received neoadjuvant NCRT plus surgery. The two groups were compared in terms of proportions of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and natural kill (NK) cells, as well as the ratio of CD4+ to CD8+ cells. These measurements were made using flow cytometry on preoperative day 1 and on postoperative days 1 and 7. Subgroup analysis were performed in terms of degrees of pathological response of NCRT. When the entire NCRT and no-NCRT (surgery alone) cohorts were compared, no significant differences in propocrtions of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, or NK cells or in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio occurred at any of the three time points. Similar results were obtained using the subgroup of NCRT patients who were NCRT-sensitive, but the subgroup of NCRT-insensitive patients showed significantly lower CD4+ and NK proportions and lower CD4+/CD8+ ratio than the no-NCRT group. Our findings suggest that NCRT does not affect perioperative immune function in patients who are NCRT-sensitive, but it does significantly reduce such function in patients who are NCRT-insensitive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Tao
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Nai-Qun
authors.initials: NQ
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: De-Sen
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Ding-Ming
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Chuan-Tian
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Zuo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D011184:Postoperative Period; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013601:T-Lymphocytes; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: locally advanced esophageal cancer; neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; perioperative immune function