Table 4 The results of immunological response and clinical outcomes

From: A phase I/IIa study of adjuvant immunotherapy with tumour antigen-pulsed dendritic cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

       

Recurrence TTP c (day)

Death c (day)

Patient no.

Lymphocyte proliferation a

IL-10 change (%) b

TGF- β change (%) b

VEGF change (%) b

AFP change (%) b

PIVKA-II change (%) b

SP

FU

SP

FU

01

Positive

14.7

4.1

4.0

−23.0

7.7

No

No

No

No

02

Positive

−16.8

−16.6

−6.8

−21.1

31.6

No

No

No

No

03

Positive

26.2

−15.8

−3.2

−47.5

52.6

No

Yes (294/217)

No

Yes (878/801)

04

Positive

−20.9

35.2

6.9

8.6

0.0

No

Yes (1075/963)

No

No

05

Positive

98.1

3.5

−2.1

25.9

12.5

No

Yes (917/805)

No

No

06

Positive

−13.3

59.2

36.8

−21.5

0.0

No

No

No

No

07

Positive

−22.4

−32.3

42.3

63.6

37.0

Yes (134/61)

No

Yes (340/267)

08d

Positive

−23.7

49.5

−17.6

−10.3

−28.6

No

No

No

No

09d

Positive

70.8

−66.8

−5.6

569.1

1619.6

Yes (205/91)

No

Yes (312/198)

10

Positive

8.3

8.6

−36.8

−30.8

13.3

No

Yes (1226/1037)

No

No

11

Negative

−12.4

−7.5

226.0

−16.7

44.4

No

No

No

No

12

Positive

26.0

20.7

−24.0

25.0

122.2

Yes (259/139)

No

Yes (783/663)

  1. aPositive means that the lymphocyte proliferation (assessed by 3H-thymidine incorporation) showed over a 2-fold increase at both 18 and 24 weeks after DC vaccination as compared with the mean value in prevaccination.
  2. b%=(the value at post vaccination – the value at pre-vaccination)/the value at pre-vaccination × 100.
  3. cRecurrence and death were monitored during the study period (SP) (24 weeks from the first DC vaccination) and 4-year follow-up (FU) study. Numbers in the parenthesis represent the TTP (starting from the primary treatment/from the first DC vaccination to the event).
  4. dIn these two patients, since data at week 24 were missing, data at week 18 were used according to the last observation carried forward method. LN denotes lymph node.