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Systemic immune dysfunction in pancreatic cancer patients

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Abstract

Background and aims

We investigated the immune status in 32 pancreatic cancer patients (PC) in comparison with healthy controls (HC).

Materials and methods

Using flow cytometry, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were characterized by the expression of surface markers for T helper cells (CD4), T suppressor cells (CD8), B cells (CD19) and NK cells (CD56). The blastogenic response of PBL was analyzed after stimulation with concavalin A (ConA), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and anti-CD3 antibodies. The serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-10, IL-12, IL-18, IL-1RA, sIL-2R and TGF-β were determined by ELISA.

Results

No differences in the distribution of peripheral immunocytes in PC were found, whereas the blastogenic response of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) after stimulation with PHA or anti-CD3 antibodies was significantly decreased in PC. In PC, we found reduced serum levels of IL-2 and significantly elevated levels of TNF-α, TGF-β1, IL-10, IL-2R, IL-1β and IL-1RA.

Conclusion

These data provide evidence for a systemic immune dysfunction in pancreatic cancer patients characterized by a shift towards a T helper cell type 2 cytokine profile, a significant elevation of substances related to T cell suppression and a reduced blastogenic response to PHA and anti-CD3 antibodies of PBL.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by Grant SFB 518 (C1) from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to F.G.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Oncological, Endocrinological and Minimal-access Surgery, Silcherstr. 36, 89231, Neu-Ulm, Germany

    Bertram Poch, Hans G. Beger & Frank Gansauge

  2. Department of Surgery, Army Hospital, 89081, Ulm, Germany

    Errki Lotspeich

  3. Pancreatic Cancer Research Group, University of Ulm, 89075, Ulm, Germany

    Marco Ramadani & Susanne Gansauge

Authors
  1. Bertram Poch
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  2. Errki Lotspeich
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  3. Marco Ramadani
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  4. Susanne Gansauge
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  5. Hans G. Beger
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  6. Frank Gansauge
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frank Gansauge.

Additional information

Bertram Poch and Errki Lotspeich contributed equally to this paper.

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Poch, B., Lotspeich, E., Ramadani, M. et al. Systemic immune dysfunction in pancreatic cancer patients. Langenbecks Arch Surg 392, 353–358 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00423-006-0140-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00423-006-0140-7

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