Background/aim: Treatment combining dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with three types of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II (DC/WT1-I/II)-restricted Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) peptides with chemotherapy may stabilize disease in pancreatic cancer patients.
Materials and methods: Laboratory data from seven patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent combined DC/WT1-I/II vaccination and chemotherapy were analyzed. The DC phenotypes and plasma cytokine profiles were analyzed via flow cytometry.
Results: The post-treatment neutrophil to lymphocyte (N/L) ratio was a treatment-related prognostic factor for better survival. Moreover, the mean fluorescence intensities (MFIs) of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR and cluster of differentiation (CD)83 on DCs were significantly increased after chemoimmunotherapy. Interestingly, interleukin (IL)-6 level in plasma was significantly increased after chemoimmunotherapy in non-super-responders.
Conclusion: An increased N/L ratio, as well as HLA-DR and CD83 MFI levels may be prognostic markers of longer survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who undergo chemoimmunotherapy.
Keywords: Cytokine; MHC class II; WT1; chemoimmunotherapy; dendritic cell; pancreatic cancer; vaccine.
Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.