Lymphocyte subpopulation before and after operation in patients with benign vs malignant breast disease.

Multiple parameters of immune function were measured serially before and one and five weeks following operation in 14 patients with fibrocystic disease of the breast (Group A) and in 20 patients with stage 1-2 infiltrating duct carcinoma (Group B). These parameters included the following: WBC, total number and percentage of lymphocytes, numbers of B cells, T cells, T-active, T-helper and T-suppressor cells and the ratio between the latter as well as spontaneous suppressor or helper activity and the graft-versus-host reaction. Prior to operation no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups except for the number of T-helper cells, which was higher in Group B (p less than 0.05), and the spontaneous suppressor activity, which was higher in Group B (p less than 0.05). The finding of such a high percentage (80%) of negative graft-versus-host reactions five weeks after operation together with the high suppressor activity may indicate the presence of tumor micrometastases. The burden of surgery and general anesthesia was stronger in Group B, with a pronounced difference found between the groups (p = 0.0005), but the interaction between the influence of time (surgery and anesthesia) and the groups was not as great (p = 0.4864) and was found to be different for each group.