Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells have been used as adoptive immunotherapy in cancer. The present study evaluated the effect of CIK cells on immune function in patients with lung cancer. Patients were divided into three groups, according to the treatment received prior to CIK cell treatment: CIK group (no prior treatment), Che-Sur group (prior chemotherapy and surgery) and Che-Rad group (prior chemotherapy and radiotherapy). Following treatment, the average percentage of cluster of differentiation (CD)3+CD4+, CD3+, natural killer (NK) and NKT cells in peripheral blood was significantly higher than that prior to CIK treatment in the Che-Sur and CIK groups, and the levels of interferon-γ in serum were significantly higher than those prior to CIK treatment in the Che-Sur and CIK groups. On the contrary, the levels of interleukin-10 had decreased in these groups following CIK treatment. Subsequently, patients were divided into three groups according to the percentage of CD3+CD56+ CIK cells that were administered to the patients. The number of NK and NKT cells increased with increasing number of CD3+CD56+ cells. The patients in the CIK and Che-Sur groups were the most benefited ones following CIK treatment, contrarily to those in the Che-Rad group, since the increase in the number of CD3+CD56+ CIK cells in the aforementioned patients enhanced the number of NK cells, which exhibit antitumor activity.
Keywords: cytokine-induced killer cells; immune function; lung cancer.