SIGNIFICANCE OF INCREASED NEUTROPHILS IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED COLORECTAL-CANCER

We examined the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (N/L ratio) in the peripheral blood in patients with colorectal cancer. The ability to p roduce active oxygen and phagocytosis of neutrophils, G-CSF, slL-2R an d IAP (immunosuppressive acidic protein) were also measured. The N/L r atios were significantly higher in the advanced stages of cancer than in normal controls, The ability to produce active oxygen in the termin al stage was 33% lower than in the control group, The G-CSF levels had no relationship with the neutrophil counts. LAP levels increased with cancer stage, and were inversely related to the ability to produce ac tive oxygen. The IAP levels correlated well with the sIL-2R levels and the N/L ratio, These findings suggest that the ability to produce act ive oxygen, N/L ratio and LAP reflect anticancer mechanisms and that t hey may be useful when considering treatment or prognosis of patients with advanced stages of cancer.