IMPAIRED TH1-RELATED IMMUNE SYSTEMS IN CANCER PATIENTS

Abstract

In order to evaluate the influence of Th1-related cytokines on disease progression, the levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12), interferon-gamma (INF-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), helper T cell (Th) subsets, and natural killer (NK) cells were examined in 337 Japanese patients with histologically confirmed primary adenocarcinomas of the stomach and colorectal and in 172 control subjects.
Levels of IL-12, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and Th1 cells were significantly lower in cancer patients than those in the control group. On the other hand, levels of Th2 cells and NK cells were significantly higher in cancer patients than those in the control group. Th1-related cytokines were suppressed even in early-stage patients. Results of the present study suggest that Th1-related immune parameters were suppressed in cancer patients, even in early-stage patients, and that they were useful as immunological markers for detecting groups of patients at high risk for cancer.