Effect of immune function on lymph node micrometastasis in esophageal cancer patients

Objective To explore the effect of immune function on lymph node micrometastasis in esophageal cancer patients by the research on the correlation between immune function and micrometastasis. Methods Ratios of T-lymphocyte subsets CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ in peripheral blood were examined by flow cytometry, but no lymph node with metastatic cancer cells was observed in middle thoracic esophageal squamous carcinoma patients by routine pathological examination. The patients were divided into 2 groups with or without micrometastasis to detect micrometastasis by immunohistochemical method, and T-lymphocyte subsets levels were compared between the 2 groups. Results CD3+ and CD4+ T-lymphocytes levels of the group with micrometastasis were significantly lower than those of the group without micrometastasis, while CD8+ level of the group with micrometastasis was significantly higher than that of the group without micrometastasis. Conclusion T-lymphocyte subset is closely relative with micrometastasis, and prognosis of the patients with low CD3+ and CD4+ levels but high CD8+ T-lymphocytes is comparatively poor.