Table 15.
Percentage of DC subsets and expression of HLA-DR in the blood of women with LLABC undergoing NAC. Baseline (B) levels in LLABCs versus completion of chemotherapy (CC) levels in different responders.
| Study group comparisons | mDC1 | mDC1 | pDC | pDC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HLA-DR | HLA-DR | ||||
| Good pathological responders (GPRs: n = 9) | B (%) | 0.12 ± 0.04 | 36.07 ± 6.00 | 0.02 ± 0.02 | 50.86 ± 10.5 |
| CC (%) | 0.10 ± 0.04 | 46.33 ± 8.00 | 0.05 ± 0.02 | 58.05 ± 12.00 | |
| B versus CC (p value) |
NS | NS | NS | NS | |
| CC versus HFDs (p value) |
NS | NS | NS | NS | |
|
| |||||
| Poor pathological responders (PPRs: n = 7) | B (%) | 0.08 ± 0.03 | 31.29 ± 6.00 | 0.02 ± 0.02 | 53.21 ± 10.00 |
| CC (%) | 0.05 ± 0.03 | 29.83 ± 5.00 | 0.03 ± 0.02 | 49.97 ± 6.00 | |
| B versus CC (p value) |
NS | NS | NS | NS | |
| CC versus HFDs (p value) |
0.048∗ | 0.001∗ | 0.017∗ | 0.023∗ | |
|
| |||||
| Post-NAC GPR versus PPR | GPR CC versus PPR CC (p value) |
NS | 0.041∗ | NS | NS |
LLABCs: large and locally advanced breast cancers; NAC: neoadjuvant chemotherapy; GPRs: complete or ≥90% reduction of tumour cell mass; PPRs: no or ≤90% reduction of tumour cell mass; HFDs: healthy female donors; NS: nonsignificant; ∗statistically significant.