Study of Blood Immune Cells in Cancer Patients Compared to Controls

Observational Immunomonitoring Study of NK/T and Myelocites Status in Cancer Patients and Controls

Tumors have a systemic immune modifying effect. They affect the immune system similarly to states of chronic inflammation and these effects can:

• be monitored through analysis of nk t and myeloid cells mainly through studies of the zeta chain but also through other means
• may be decreased following effective anticancer therapy - may even be used to study the effectiveness of anticancer therapy
• are important to monitor if the investigators plan on formulation of systemic immune therapy Thus immumonitoring of systemic blood cells may turn out to be an important prognostic and predictive factor in many cancer types

CD247 Known also as the zeta chain is important for relaying T-cell induced signal transduction.

Interestingly studies by Baniash and others have demonstrated that this chain is down regulated in states of chronic inflammation and cancer in peripheral blood T cells and also in NK cells However there has not been a prospective study of this marker in cancer and control patients such a study will reveal not only the levels of CD247 in immune cells of cancer patients compared to controls but may reveal the effect of anticancer therapies on CD247 in cancer patients such a study may contribute significantly to our ability to monitor systemic immune system characteristics in cancer patients and help in any further studies of immunomodulation such as vaccination schemes in such patients

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients with cancer or blood donators agreeing to participate in the trial

Exclusion Criteria:

• other disease states which may cause chronic inflammation