ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the influence of (89)SrCl(2) (strontium-89 chloride) on immune functions in patients with simple bone metastases.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-five patients diagnosed as simple bone metastases with un-detectable primary tumors were treated with (89)SrCl(2). The CD4(+), CD8(+), CD4(+)/CD8(+) lymphocyte subsets were assessed before and after (89)SrCl(2) treatment. Twenty normal individuals served as controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) in the control group were (38.83 +/- 8.95)%, (32.19 +/- 8.51)% and 1.29 +/- 0.47, respectively. In patients, they were (31.12 +/- 8.12)%, (41.75 +/- 10.91)% and 0.84 +/- 0.22 before treatment, and (36.21 +/- 8.71)%, (35.08 +/- 10.14)% and 1.19 +/- 0.27 after treatment, respectively (P < 0.05). The patients were divided into treatment effective and non-effective groups by pain score. Before treatment, the immunologic parameters in the two groups had no significant differences (P > 0.05). After treatment, the frequencies of CD4(+) and CD8(+) subsets, CD4(+) to CD8(+) ratios and the number of metastatic foci in the effective group were (37.81 +/- 5.18)%, (33.17 +/- 6.38)%, 1.33 +/- 0.31 and 6.64 +/- 3.11, respectively, while in the treatment non-effective group, they were (32.09 +/- 5.72)%, (39.99 +/- 5.38)%, 0.82 +/- 0.22 and 9.87 +/- 3.46, respectively (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The immune functions in patients with simple bone metastases are inhibited. Treatment with (89)SrCl(2) may improve their immunity to certain extent. The degree of recovery in the treatment effective patients was better than that in the treatment non-effective cases.</p>