Evaluation of immunological parameters in patients with breast cancer

analysis of peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations by two-color flow cytometry

Abstract

Changes of lymphocyte subset phenotypes and lymphocyte response of phytohaemag-gulutinin (PHA) were studied in 12 patients with breast adenocarcinoma and compared between patients with positive lymph node (n=4) and negative lymph node metastasis (n=8).
In patients with positive lymph node metastasis, the response against PHA was significantly elevated on the 7th postoperative day when compared to patients with negative lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). CD4⁺CD29⁺T cells were significantly increased on the 7th day postoperatively in patients with negative lymph node metastasis (p<0.05), while, in patients with positive lymph node metastasis, number of these cells remained at low levels (p<0.05). CD8⁺⁺ Tcells with stronger expression of the CD8 antigen were at low levels on the 7th postoperative day in patients with positive lymph node metastasis when compared to patients with negative lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). CD8⁺⁺ CD11⁺ Tcells inpatients with positive lymph node metastasis, however, were significantly increased postoperatively compared to the preoperative level (p<0.05), and it was suggested that cytotoxic T cells were remarkably reduced.