Determination Of Interleukine-10 In Cancer Patients In Stages Iii And Iv Treated With Dexamethasone.

Abstract

Dexamethasone treatment in patients with cancerin stages III and IV is associated with immuneresponse suppression, possibly because of theinhibiting effect produced by antigen presentingdendritic cells. Under dexamethasone action,dendritic cells secrete very low levels of IL-10that not only diminish the Th2 lymphocyteresponse but also the one induced by NK cells.In most of experimental models, IL-10 levelsincrease when patients have been previouslytreated with dexamethasone, which inhibits theTh1 lymphocytes response and produces worseningof the process. Methodology: ELISAtest was used to determine IL-10 in patientswith different tumors in stages III and IV treatedwith chemotherapy and dexamethasone-metoclopramideand in healthy controls. Results: In theexperimental model, all patients with cancer instages III and IV exhibited very low levels of IL-10, compared to those of the control group. Inaddition, IL-10 concentration did not increase inpatients treated with dexamethasone. Our resultsshow that IL-10 does not produce dendritic cellsanergy nor cytotoxic response mediated by Th1lymphocytes. Conclusion: it is possible thatimmune response suppression in this type ofpatients is the result of dexamethasone and notof IL-10 effect.

Keywords

• Interleukin-10
• neoplasms
• glucocorticoids
• dexamethasone
• immunosuppression
• dendritic cells