Changes of immunological markers after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

Purpose: Recently high-dose chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem cell tr ansplantation (PBSCT) has become an important treatment for hematological a nd solid tumors. Methods: Immunological parameters were examined before and after PBSCT in 9 patients with lung cancer and 13 patients with malignant lymphoma. Findings were compared with those for bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Peripheral blood cells were analyzed for phenotype and the levels o f cytokines and soluble factors were measured. Results: After PBSCT, activa ted T cells (CD3(+)HLA-DR+ cells, CD8(+)HLA-DR+ cells) and suppressor/cytot oxic T cells (CD8(+)CD11b(-) cells) were significantly higher in the patien ts with lung cancer than in those with malignant lymphoma. Serum levels of interleukin-4 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor were also significantly hi gher in the patients with lung cancer than in those with lymphoma. On the o ther hand, the serum levels of interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alph a, interleukin-6, soluble human leukocyte antigen class 1, and soluble thro mbomodulin were significantly increased after bone marrow transplantation. The transfused peripheral stem cells of lung cancer and lymphoma patients h ad a similar number of granulocyte/macrophage-colony-forming units, but lun g cancer patients had significantly more CD34-positive cells. Conclusion: B y reinfusing large numbers of autologous immune cells, PBSCT may accelerate immune reconstitution, with T cells being likely to have a marked therapeu tic potential. The changes after PBSCT were greater in patients with lung c ancer than in lymphoma patients. These blood cells are potent mediators of anticancer activity and could play an important role in the elimination of autologous malignant cells.