Peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with cervical cancer

Objective: Impairment of cell-mediated immunity in carcinoma of the cervix (CA CX) and cervical intraepithetial neoplasia (CIN) are reported. Contradictory reports exist on lymphocyte subpoputations associated with this disease. The present study aims to quantitatively analyze peripheral blood lymphocytes subsets in patients with CA CX and CIN. Method: Systemic T lymphocyte subsets, CD1 9+, CD1 6+ and CD56+ cells in 58 CA CX and 10 CIN patients were studied. The lymphocyte phenotypes were quantified by monoclonal antibodies (anti-CD4, CD8, CD1 6, CD1 9 and CD56). Result: Significant decrease in CD4+ cell population was observed in CA CX and CIN patients as compared to controls (P <= 0.05). CD4+/CD8+ ratio was observed to be less in CIN patients (P.A.001). Other lymphocyte subpoputations appeared to be comparabte between the groups. Conclusion: Resutts indicate immunological abnormalities in invasive CA CX and CIN patients. Study on a Larger patient population may provide a biomarker for early detection of this disease. (c) 2007 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.