[T-lymphocyte and monocyte activation in the course of infection in children with neoplastic disease].

UNLABELLED: One of the side effects of antineoplastic treatment is immunosuppression. A consequence of this are frequent infections, sometimes with fatal outcome. The immunological system "answers" to infections with changes in number and quality of cells participating in the inflammatory process. The aim of the study was to investigate the subpopulations of mononuclear cells in patients with neoplastic (haematologic) diseases during infections. We studied 16 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and with lymphomas (Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin). Among our patients we note 25 episodes of infections requiring hospitalization. Mean percent values of mononuclear antibodies: CD14-PE/CD45-FITC, CD3-FITC/CD19-PE, CD4-FITC/CD8-PE, CD3-FITC/CD16+CD56-PE, CD14-PerCP/CD54-PE, CD3-PerCP/CD54RA-FITC/CD45RO-PE, CD3-PerCP/HLA-DR, CD14-PerCP/HLA-DR. In the examination carried out during acute infection, we found higher mean percent values of CD3+ HLDAR+, CD14+ CD54+ and CD3+ CD45RO+ cells than in analogous values in the remaining examinations. After the infection we found higher percent of CD3 CD45RA+/CD3+CD45RO+ cells. In a patient with cytomegalovirus pneumonitis our examination showed a depression of HLA-DR antigens on monocytes during acute infections (10th day of treatment) and return to normal values after 20 days of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: (1) The most sensitive expression of infection in children with neoplastic disease was the variable percent of HDLA-DR molecules on T lymphocytes. (2) Presence of activation indicators on T lymphocytes and monocytes can testify that there is persistent function of the immunological system in spite of immunosuppression in patients with neoplastic disease. (3) Depression in percent value of monocytes with HLA-DR antigens in the course of cytomegalovirus pneumonitis confirms its immunosuppressive influence on the human organism.