Changes of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood before and after operation of patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma

Summary Comparison was made between lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood from patients with benign ovarian tumor and those with advanced ovarian carcinoma. In addition, changes of lymphocyte subsets of patients with ovarian carcinoma before and after operation were also examined. The percentage and absolute number of CD3^–/HLA-DR⁺ (B cells) in peripheral blood from patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma were significantly lower than values from patients with benign ovarian tumor, whereas both percentage and absolute number of CD3^–/HLA-DR^– (null cells) cells in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma were significantly higher. Although there was no significant difference in natural killer (NK) cell subsets (CD57⁺CD16^– and CD57⁺ CD16⁺ cells) between patients with benign ovarian tumor and ovarian carcinoma, the percentage and absolute number of CD57^–/CD16⁺ (highly differentiated NK cells) cells in patients with ovarian carcinoma were significantly higher than those in patients with benign ovarian tumor. Both the absolute number and percentage of CD3⁺/HLA-DR⁺ (activated T cells) cells in ovarian cancer patients with minimal residual tumors after operation were significantly increased, compared to the levels before operation, while the values in the patients with large residual tumors were significantly decreased. In addition, the percentage and absolute number of CD3^–/HLA-DR^– (null cells) cells in the patients with minimal residual tumors were significantly decreased after operation, while values in the patients with large residual tumors remained unchanged before and after operation. The patients with minimal residual tumors after operation were characterized by a significant increase in the percentage of CD57^–CD16⁺ (highly differentiated NK cells) cells. On the other hand, in the patients with large residual tumors no change of the NK cell subsets was observed before and after operation.Abbreviation NK natural killer - FITC fluorescein isothiocyamate - PE phycoerythrin