Study on the cell immune function in patients with gastric cancer before and after operation

Objective This study was aimed to verify whether immunodeficiency existed in patients with operable gastric cancer and whether radical surgery might restore the counts of peripheral blood T cells and NK cells.Method Thirty-two consecutive patients with histologically proven gastric cancer,undergoing radical surgery,were studied.Assessment of total lymphocyte count,lymphocyte subsets,NK and CIK cells were performed by FAC scan at baseline,then postoperatively 7 and 14 days after surgery.Results The CD4+ lymphocytes subsets,CD4+ /CD8+,NK and CIK cells were lower in patients with gastric cancer than in control group.Compared with those at baseline, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+,NK,CIK cells remained at a low level at postoperative day 7,and increased significantly at postoperative day 14.Conclusion Cancer-related immunodeficiency is a frequent finding in gastric cancer patients.The immune impairment is partial restored after complete tumor removal in postoperative days 14,however it also is influenced by surgery-induced trauma.