Effects of FOLFOX regimen chemotherapy on immunity of patients with colorectal cancer / 中国癌症杂志

ABSTRACT

Background and purpose: Anti-tumor chemotherapy compromises normal immune function of the patients. There were many reports that chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer often inhibit the cellular immune function. The effect of FOLFOX regimen chemotherapy on immunity of the patients with colorectal cancer before and after therapy was studied, and healthy people were used as a control. Methods: Eighty colorectal cancer patients were treated by FOLFOX regimen, which consisted of 2-hour infusion of oxaliplatin(85 mg/m~2) and 2-hour infusion of leucovorin (CF)(200 mg/m~2) on Day 1, followed by 5-fluorouracil(5-FU) bolus (400 mg/m~2) on Day 1 and 46-hour infusion (2 400 mg/m~2). FOLFOX regimen was repeated at 2-week intervals. Two treatments of the above regimen were defined as one cycle. Flow cytometry was used to detect T lymphocyte subsets and NK cells in blood samples from patients with colorectal cancer before and after therapy. Data obtained fi'om healthy people was used as control. Results: CD3~+, CD4~+ T cells, NK cells and CD4~+/CD8~+ ratio in blood samples were not significant before and after chemotherapy in first day, second week and fourth week(P0.05). Lower CD3~+, CD4~+ T cells, NK cells and CD4~+/CD8~+ ratio were detected in blood samples from cancer group than that from the healthy control(P<0.05). CD8~+ T lymphocyte were reverse. This change was related to the TNM pathological stage. Conclusion: FOLFOX regimen was effective for patients with coloreetal cancer, which can improve patients' life quality and did not impact on the immune function of the patients. The immune function of lymphocytes in peripheral blood of the patients with colorectal cancer was low, and even worse in the patients with late TNM stage. It is valuable for estimating the function of cell immune of the patients, patients prognosis and the role of immune therapy in the treatment of the patients by detecting T lymphocyte subset and NK cell.