Original scientific paper
Cross-talk between NKT and Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in Modulation of Immune Response in Patients with Colorectal Cancer following Different Pain Management Techniques
Ines Mrakovčić-Šutić
Đordano Bačić
Snježana Golubović
Roberta Bačić
Marin Marinović
Abstract
Natural killer T (NKT) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in innate immune response. Natural
killer (NK) and NKT cells are indispensable factors in the body’s ongoing defense against tumor development, as well as
viral infection. NKT cells are a subset of T cells that shares properties of natural killer cells and conventional T cells.
They are involved in innate immune responses, tumor rejection, post transplantation immunotherapy, immune surveillance
and control of autoimmune diseases. They may also play both protective and harmful roles in the progression of
certain autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes, lupus, atherosclerosis, and allergen-induced asthma. Immune surveillance
involves the process whereby precancerous and malignant cells are recognized by the host immune system as damaged
and are consequently targeted for elimination. The pharmacological management of postoperative pain in patients with
malignancies uses very different techniques whose possible cytotoxic functions we still known very poor. The present
study compared effects of two different postoperative pain management techniques in patients undergoing colorectal cancer
surgery on the innate immunity. Our data indicate that the patients with colorectal cancer have significantly increased
the percentage of Tregs and NKT cells. The values were statistically higher during epidural analgesia in comparison
with intravenous analgesia, indicating that epidural pain management technique ameliorate the immune suppression
after surgery.
Keywords
colorectal cancer; epidural analgesia; innate immunity; intravenous analgesia; NKT cells; regulatory T cells
Hrčak ID:
72225
URI
Publication date:
25.9.2011.
Visits: 1.242 *