Natural Killer Cell Activity in Patients with Invasive Cervical Carcinoma: Importance of a Longitudinal Evaluation in Follow-Up

Abstract

Objective: To analyze longitudinally the basal natural killer cell activity in patients with invasive cervical carcinoma, the natural cytotoxicity was related to the most important known prognostic factors, and evaluated with respect to the clinical outcome of cervical disease. Materials and Methods: Forty-six patients with histologically proven invasive cervical carcinoma treated and followed at the Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ancona University, Salesi Hospital, were consecutively recruited from 1989 to 1992 and included into the study. For immunologic investigation, natural killer cell activity and peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets were tested before primary treatment and during the follow-up period, every 6 months. Natural killer activity was determined by target cell retention of the fluorescent dye carboxyfluorescein diacetate; the K 562 cell line was used as target cells. Results: A significant inverse relationship was observed between natural killer activity and disease stage (p = 0.001); patients with stage IV disease had the lowest level of natural cytotoxicity. The reduction of natural cytotoxicity was not accompanied by any alteration of lymphocyte distribution. The longitudinal analysis showed an increase of natural killer activity after surgical removal of the tumor, persisting during the follow-up, but all the 9 patients who recurred showed, at the time of disease recurrence, a significant decrease of their natural cytotoxic potential. Conclusion: Natural killer cell activity seems to be a functional index of immune status, significantly related to the stage and the clinical outcome of disease.

Mistletoe Extract Reduces the Surgical Suppression of Natural Killer Cell Activity in Cancer Patients. A Randomized Phase III Trial

“…In humans, numerous studies have demonstrated the prognostic significance of preoperative NK cell activity of patients with colorectal carcinoma and other tumour entities [22][23][24]. Additionally, it was shown that progression of disease of patients with cervix carcinoma was preceded by a decrease of NK cell activity [25]. Therefore, adoptive NK cell therapies are presently under investigation [26].…”

Activating NK cell receptor ligands are differentially expressed during progression to cervical cancer

“…RNA concentration and quality was determined by spectrophotometry (NanoDrop ND-100). Twohundred nanograms of RNA were reverse-transcribed using the SuperScript TM First-Strand Synthesis system for RT PCR (Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany) choosing Oligo (dT) [12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Primer in a final volume of 20 ll. To exclude false positive results due to contaminating genomic DNA, samples without reverse transcriptase were included.…”

“…Accumulation of intratumoral NK cells in solid tumors including colorectal cancer, 15 gastric cancer 16 and squamous cell lung cancer 17 was correlated with improved survival rates. In cervical cancer, early studies by Garzetti et al 18 reported an inverse relationship between NK cell activity and disease stage. NK cells, isolated from blood of patients with most advanced tumors (Stage IV), showed the lowest levels of cytotoxicity against the NK cell target cell line K562.…”

Ver�nderungen von peripheren Blutzellpopulationen bei HNO-Karzinompatienten

“…Dies kann als Merkmal für Entzündungsreaktionen durch den Tumor gewertet werden, obwohl auch ein Tumor selbst durch Produktion von G-CSF eine Leukozytose induzieren kann [5]. Dieser Anstieg von Granulozyten und Monozyten ist im Durchschnitt bei Probanden der Gruppe 3 etwas geringer vorhanden, bei den Rezidivpatienten (Gruppe 4) jedoch wieder stärker ausgeprägt, ist also in allen Probandengruppen mit Karzinompatienten angehoben und korreliert mit aktivem Tumor durch besondere Erhöhung.…”