Background & objective: Patients with esophageal carcinoma often have immunosuppression. This study was to detect perioperative argyrophil nucleolar orgnizer region (AgNOR) content in peripheral blood T lymphocytes and T cell subsets of patients with esophageal carcinoma, investigate the influences of cellular immune condition and surgery on cellular immune function of these patients.
Methods: Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 75 healthy adults and 70 patients with esophageal carcinoma before surgery, 3 and 9 days after surgery. AgNOR content in peripheral blood T lymphocytes was measured by tumor immune microphotometry; T cell subsets was measured by flow cytometry.
Results: Before operation, AgNOR content, proportions of CD3(+)CD8(+) and CD8(+)CD25(+) T cells were significantly lower in patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001); proportions of CD3(+) and CD3(+)CD4(+) T cells of patients were not significantly different from that of healthy controls (P > 0.05); proportions of CD4(+)CD25(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells were significantly higher in patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.05). In peripheral blood T lymphocytes of the patients after operation, AgNOR content, CD3(+), CD3(+)CD4+(+), and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells were the lowest at the 3rd day, and the highest at the 9th day; CD3(+)CD8(+), CD4(+)CD25(+), and CD8+CD25+ T cells gradually ascended from the 3rd day. At the 9th day after operation, CD3(+) and CD3(+)CD4(+) T cells of patients were not significantly different from that of healthy controls (P> 0.05); AgNOR content, CD3(+)CD8(+) and CD8(+)CD25(+) T cells were still lower in patients than in healthy controls (P<0.05); CD4(+)CD25(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells were still higher in patients than in healthy controls (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Surgery injure may cause temporary cellular immunosuppression in patients with esophageal carcinoma, which slowly recovers early after operation.