Chemotherapy markedly reduces B cells but not T cells and NK cells in patients with cancer.

ABSTRACT: Chemotherapy is still the backbone of systemic treatment in the majority of cancers. However, immunotherapies, especially those based on checkpoint inhibition, are additional therapy options for many. For this, functional T cells are a mandatory requirement. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the influence of chemotherapy on the cellular immune status of individual patients. Peripheral blood samples of 26 patients with solid malignancies undergoing chemotherapy were analyzed for lymphocyte populations and their subsets in a longitudinal approach. Chemotherapy decreased total B lymphocyte counts [median value (25-75 percentile): before chemotherapy 76/µl (39-160) vs. after chemotherapy 49/µl (24-106); p = 0.001]. Among B cells, specific subsets decreased particularly [naïv

SUBMITTER: Waidhauser J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11027838 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature