Immune cell subsets and cytokine levels in peripheral blood between healthy donors and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients and in patients before and after the first phase of chemotherapy

<p dir="ltr">The study aimed to compare immune cell subsets and cytokine levels in peripheral blood between healthy donors and TNBC patients and in patients before and after the first phase (at least 3 cycles) of chemotherapy. Twenty-three patients recently diagnosed with TNBC and ten healthy donors consented to participate in this study. Patients were recruited from a private clinic in Johannesburg, Gauteng, with their consent. Blood was collected prior to treatment and after first-phase chemotherapy. Full blood counts, patient demographics, and treatment response were recorded. The percentage of circulating CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-cells, B-cells, natural killer (NK) cells, monocytes, and regulatory T-cells (Tregs), as well as the expression of various cell markers, was evaluated by flow cytometry and compared between participant groups. The concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), interleukins-6, -8, and -10 (IL-6, -8, -10) and interferon gamma-induced protein (IP-10) were evaluated in participant plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), and the results were compared between participant groups. These were also compared to treatment outcomes. This study showed an increase in the percentage of CD14⁺ monocytes and CD56^high NK cells and a decrease in CD19⁺ B-cells after first-phase chemotherapy, while no significant differences in cell percentages were seen between healthy donors and treatment-naïve patient groups. </p>