[Clinical significance of T lymphocyte subset changes after first line chemotherapy in peripheral blood from patients with advanced stage adenocarcinoma cell lung cancer].

Background and Objective: The immune function disorder relates closely to the occurrence, metastasis, and prognosis of cancer. T lymphocyte subsets take an important role in immune function. We identified the dynamic changes of the immune system by investigating the levels of T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of lung cancer patients with advanced stage adenocarcinoma undergoing first line chemotherapy. The results aided the search for rational chemo-immunotherapy strategies in lung cancer treatment.
Methods: Samples from 49 patients with pathologically demonstrated advanced stage adenocarcinoma cell lung cancer were compared with those from 33 healthy donors. Subsequently, the patients were separately treated with Docetaxol-based or Pemetrexed-based therapy. Peripheral blood samples at different time points after therapy were analyzed by flowcytometry. The lymphocyte subsets of the total lymphocytes were compared. Independent sample t test was used for the quantitative data analysis.
Results: The percentage of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD4+CD25+ cells of the lung cancer patients significantly varied from those of the healthy donors, the P values are 0.012, 0.034 and 0.006 separately. The CD3+ and CD3+CD4+ levels increased significantly on the 4th and 7th-10th day post-chemotherapy, which return to normal levels on the 21th day. The CD3+ level increased significantly both in the treatment group on all time points, while the CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ levels significantly increased and the CD3+CD8+, CD8+CD28- levels significantly decreased on the 4th day in Pemetrexed group. The CD3+CD4+ levels increased significantly on the 4th and 7th-10th day and the CD3+CD8+, CD8+CD28- levels decreased on the 4th day in partial response group.
Conclusions: The immune function of advanced stage adenocarcinoma cell lung cancer patients was evidently suppressed, and was restored at the 4th day, followed by a reduction at the 21st day after chemotherapy. On the 4th day, Pemetrexed showed better effect on the immune system. The change of immune system post-chemotherapy could be related with the prognosis.