Changes of serum endocrine hormone levels in patients with cancer-related fatigue and their correlation with anti-tumor immune response and tumor load

摘要

Objective: To study the changes of serum endocrine hormone levels in patients with cancerrelatedfatigue (CRF) and their correlation with anti-tumor immune response and tumor load.Methods: A total of 137 patients who were diagnosed with primary lung cancer in West ChinaHospital, Sichuan University between June 2014 and November 2016 were selected and thendivided into CRF group and control group according to their self-reported symptoms, serumwas collected to determine the levels of endocrine hormones and tumor markers, and peripheralblood was collected to detect the levels of immune cells. Results: Serum ACTH and TSHlevels of CRF group were significantly higher than those of control group while Cor, FT3 andFT4 levels were significantly lower than those of control group; peripheral blood CD11b+CD15﹣CD33+CD14+M-MDSC, CD11b+CD15﹣CD33+CD14﹣G-MDSC, CD4+CD25+CD127lowTregand CD19+CD5+CD1d+Breg levels as well as serum CEA, Cyfra21-1, SCC-Ag, HE4, GDF-15 and PCNA levels of CRF group were significantly higher than those of control group,positively correlated with serum ACTH and TSH levels, and negatively correlated with Cor,FT3 and FT4 levels. Conclusion: The changes of thyroid hormone and adrenal corticalhormone levels in patients with cancer-related fatigue are closely related to the inhibited antitumorimmune response and increased tumor load.