Purpose: To investigate the immunological function for patients with oral cancer undergoing operation.
Methods: Peripheral blood was taken from patients with oral cancer before and after operation. Proportions of CD3(+) total T, CD4(+) Th, CD8(+) Tc/Ts, CD19(+) total B, CD16(+)/CD56(+)NK were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). Detections of serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were performed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Paired t test was used for statistical analysis.
Results: The proportions of CD8(+)Tc/Ts, CD19(+) total B and CD4(+)/CD8(+) increased significantly after surgery. Post operative proportion of CD16(+)/CD56(+)NK decreased more significantly. The concentration of TNF-alpha was less than that before operation(P<0.05).
Conclusions: Surgery could change immunological function and alleviate immunosuppression of oral cancer patients. Detections for immune conditions of oral cancer patients might have important clinical values in prognosis evaluation and guiding treatment, especially immunotherapy, after operation.