Lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

Quantitation of T-lymphocyte subsets and natural killer cells in peripheral blood of 16 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and 15 controls with normal cervical cytology was performed using specific monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry. No differences were observed in T-helper lymphocytes, T-suppressor/cytotoxic lymphocytes, Th/Ts cell ratios, or natural killer cells. The results indicate that disturbances of the cell-mediated immune response, observed in patients with invasive cancer of the cervix, are secondary to the disease and of no significance in the initiation of cervical cancer.