Characterization of peripheral blood T-cell subpopulation of bladder cancer patients

The levels of immune reactivity of peripheral and blood T-lymphocytes were evaluated in 37 bladder cancer patients and 31 age-matched controls. T-lymphocyte subsets were quantified by monoclonal antibodies, and the immune reactivity was measured using stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Comparing the patients before and after treatment revealed significant changes in the stimulation index of proliferative response to PHA, PWM, in the PWM% (the patient response compared to the control), and in the percent of T8 cells from the total count of blood lymphocytes. Further significant differences were found among the disease stages in the numbers of T3, T4 lymphocytes subpopulations and the total lymphocyte count. A significant interaction was found between the treatment and patient's sex regarding the T4:T8 ratio. Also, a higher prevalence of T4:T8 less than 1 was found among the patients compared to the controls before and after treatment regardless of the disease stage. This T4:T8 less than 1 ratio can serve as an indicator of immune competence in bladder transitional cell carcinoma patients.