Clinical Significance of Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood from Gastric Cancer Patients.
- Author:
Seok Hun SONG
1
;
Han Il LEE
;
Ki Hyuk PARK
;
Dae Hyun JOO
;
Sung Hwan PARK
;
Yong Oon YOO
;
Ki Ho PARK
;
Sang Kyeong KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Surgery, 1Clinical Pathology, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Taegu-Hyosung, Taegu, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Gastric cancer;
Lymphocyte subpopulations
- MeSH:
B-Lymphocytes;
Daegu;
Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct;
Follow-Up Studies;
Humans;
Immunity, Cellular;
Lymph Nodes;
Lymphocyte Count;
Lymphocyte Subsets*;
Lymphocytes*;
Neoplasm Metastasis;
Prognosis;
Recurrence;
Stomach Neoplasms*;
T-Lymphocytes
- From:Journal of the Korean Surgical Society
1998;55(Suppl):997-1003
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND : There are plenty of documented observations of gastric cancer patients having suppressed cellular immunity, and this immunity may be correlated to recurrence. We studied the changes in the peripheral T-lymphocyte subpopulations in gastric cancer patients and their predictive roles for recurrence. METHODS : Lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood from thirty-eight gastric cancer patients who were operated on at Taegu Catholic Medical Center from September 1995 to February 1997 were measured by 3-color direct immunofluorescence analysis with a Coulter S-plus IV automatic counter. RESULTS : CD4 significantly increased with tumor size and depth of invasion although other immune parameters, such as CD8, CD19, the CD4/CD8 ratio, and total lymphocyte count did not changed. In the patients with lymph-node metastasis, increases in CD3 and CD4 and a decrease in CD19 were observed. CD19 and the B lymphocyte count also decreased in advanced gastric cancer patients. However, T-lymphocytes subpopulations did not significantly change with stage. There were significant decreases in CD8 and in the T- & B-lymphocyte counts, without changes in CD4 and the CD4/CD8 ratio in the postoperative immune parameters.The preoperative values of the T- & B-lymphocyte counts and CD8 and CD19 were lower in patients who had recurrences during six months to two years of follow up, compared to recurrence-free patients. CONCLUSIONS : On the basis of these results, we found changes of T-lymphocyte subpopulations with size, depth of invasion, and regional lymph node metastasis, but not with stage. Postoperatively, there were significant decreases in the T- & B-lymphocyte counts. Suppressed immunity correlated with recurrence, and preoperative evaluation of peripheral T-cell subpopulations may be helpful for predict recurrence and for postoperative prognosis.
