Effects of PSK on T and Dendritic Cells Differentiation in Gastric or Colorectal Cancer Patients

• Published in: Anticancer research Vol. 25; no. 1B; pp. 443 - 449
• Main Authors: KANAZAWA, Masashi, YOSHIHARA, Kazue, OGATA, Takashi, OHTO, Hitoshi, ABE, Hiroyuki, IWADATE, Manabu, WATANABE, Kumiko, SUZUKI, Satoshi, ENDOH, Yoshiyuki, TAKITA, Ken-Ichi, SEKIKAWA, Kouji, TAKENOSHITA, Seiichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Attiki International Institute of Anticancer Research 01.01.2005
• Subjects: Adult; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer Vaccines; Cell Lineage; Cell Separation; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Dendritic Cells - drug effects; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Flow Cytometry; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Immunotherapy; Interleukin-10 - metabolism; Interleukin-12 - metabolism; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Proteoglycans - therapeutic use; Stomach Neoplasms - drug therapy; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; T-Lymphocytes - drug effects; Th1 Cells - metabolism; Th2 Cells - metabolism; Time Factors; Tumors; Human; Th1/Th2; Dendritic cell; Rectal disease; Colorectal cancer; Cytokine; Th1 lymphocyte; Malignant tumor; Cell differentiation; Stomach cancer; Plasmacytoid dendritic cell; Colonic disease; Cancerology; DC1/DC2; Antigen presenting cell; T-Lymphocyte; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Myeloid dendritic cell; ASK; Th2 lymphocyte; cytokines; Gastric disease
• ISSN: 0250-7005; 1791-7530

Background: Vaccine therapy targeting tumor antigens recognized by cytotoxic T cells (CTL) has been tried extensively. However, in a cancer-bearing state, the Th1/Th2 balance shifts to Th2 dominance, and this has been the obstacle to vaccine therapy to induce the CTL. DC1/DC2 subsets have also been reported to control the differentiation of Th subsets. The key to tumor immunotherapy is how to activate the DC1-Th1 lineage. Patients and Methods: Six normal adults and 14 patients with gastric or colorectal cancers, who gave informed consent, were studied. The Th1/Th2 and DC1/DC2 ratios were determined by FACS. IL-12 and IL-10 production from PBMC were measured by ELISA. Results: The Th1/Th2 and DC1/DC2 ratios were all significantly lower in the patients with gastric or colorectal cancers compared to normal adults. After protein-bound polysaccharide K (PSK) therapy in cancer patients, the Th1/Th2 balance shifted to Th1 dominance and the DC1/DC2 balance to DC1 dominance. IL-10 production was significantly decreased by PSK therapy. Conclusion: In the cancer-bearing state, the Th1/Th2 and DC/1/DC2 balance becomes Th2- and DC2-dominant. PSK therapy results in a shift of the Th1/Th2 and DC1/DC2 balance towards Th1 and DC1 dominance. We plan to examine whether combining dendritic cells (DC) vaccination therapy with oral PSK enhances the induction of T cell and DC differentiation in cancer patients.