ISSN:
1432-1750
Keywords:
Key words: Immunological responses—Lung cancer—Nutritional status—Infection.
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract. The rate of infection in patients with malignant disease is significantly higher than in patients with benign disease. To investigate whether immunological competence is impaired in patients with lung cancer, we assessed neutrophil function (chemotaxis, phagocytosis, bacterial killing activity, and superoxide production), monocyte function (phagocytosis and killing activity), lymphocyte subsets using flow cytometry, and proliferation of lymphocytes stimulated by phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen. Studies were performed on 22 untreated patients with lung cancer and 21 age-matched healthy volunteers. Nutritional status was assessed by Niederman's nutritional index. In patients with lung cancer neutrophil chemotaxis, monocyte phagocytosis and killing, proliferation of lymphocytes stimulated by phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A, but not pokeweed mitogen, and the number of natural killer cells were significantly lower than in healthy volunteers, whereas γδ T cells were increased (p 〈 0.05). The mean score on Niederman's nutritional index was worse in patients than in healthy volunteers (p 〈 0.001). Our results suggest that the impaired immunological competence and undernutrition may be among the mechanisms causing increased susceptibility to infection in patients with lung cancer.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/PL00007618
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