Alterations of the lymphocytic set-up in elderly patients with cancer

• Published in: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 7 - 14
• Main Authors: Motta, M., Ferlito, L., Malaguarnera, L., Vinci, E., Bosco, S., Maugeri, D., Malaguarnera, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.01.2003
• Subjects: Aged; Cancer in elderly; Female; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Immunity in elderly; Lymphocyte Subsets; Lymphocytes in cancer; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - immunology; Cancer in elderly; Lymphocytes in cancer; Immunity in elderly
• ISSN: 0167-4943; 1872-6976
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-4943(02)00053-5

It is assumed that the increased incidence of neoplastic pathologies with advancing age is correlated with the immunosenescence and with the altered immune-surveillance. The present study was aimed at evaluating the role of the immunocompetent system and immunosenescence in carcinogenesis. A pool of 99 subjects (38 females, 61 males) has been analyzed in three groups as follows. Group A: 51 elderly subjects with cancer (16 females and 35 males, average age 73.7±7.5 years). Group B: 24 young subjects with cancer (12 females, 12 males, average age 49.5±10.3 years). Group C: 24 elderly subjects without any clinical evidence of cancer (10 females, 14 males, average age 74.6±6.3 years). Hemo-chromocytometric analysis and cytofluorimetric typifying have been performed in all subjects. A decrease of T (CD3 +)-lymphocytes has been observed in group A, if compared to group B ( P<0.007), and to group C ( P<0.01), The T (CD4 +)-lymphocytes were fewer in group A, than in group C ( P<0.004), and also the NK cells showed the same trend ( P<0.002). The numbers of leukocytes and monocytes increased in group A compared to group C ( P<0.01 and P<0.004, respectively). Red cell numbers, hemoglobin and hematocrit values were lower in group A than in group B ( P<0.03, P<0.03, P<0.01, respectively), and also than in group C ( P<0.007, P<0.001, P<0.01, respectively), The results demonstrate that the alterations of the immunocompetent cells, particularly of the T-cell pool, may play an important role in the carcinogenesis of the elderly.