AIM:To investigate the influence of autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells on the phenotypes of CIK effectorcells,peripheral T lymphocyte subsets and dendritic cellsubsets in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS:Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)were collected by a blood cell separator from 13 patientswith HCC,then expanded by priming them with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) followed by monoclonal antibody (mAb)against CD3 and interleukin-2 (IL-2) the next day.Thephenotypic patterns of CIK cells were characterized by flowcytometry on d 0,4,7,10,13 and 15 of incubation,respectively.Then,5 mL of venous blood was obtained fromHCC patients before or 8-10 d after CIK cells were transfusedinto patients to assess the influence of CIK cells on thepercentages of effector cells,and proportions of DC1 or DC2in peripheral blood by flow cytometry.RESULTS:After two weeks of in vitro incubation,thepercentages of CD3~+CD8~+,CD3~+CD56~+,and CD25~+ cellsincreased significantly from 33.5±10.1%,7.7±2.8%,and12.3±4.5% to 36.6±9.0% (P<0.05),18.9±6.9% (P<0.01),and 16.4±5.9% (P<0.05),respectively.However,thepercentages of CD3~+CD4~+ and NK cells had no significantdifference.The percentages of CD3~+ and CD3~+CD8~+ cells werekept at high levels during the whole incubation period,butthose of CD25~+,and CD3~+CD56~+ cells began to decrease ond 7 and 13,respectively.The proportions of type Ⅰ dendriticcell (DC1) and type Ⅱ dendritic cell (DC2) subsets increasedfrom 0.59±0.23% and 0.26±0.12% before CIK cell therapyto 0.85±0.27% and 0.43±0.19% (all P<0.01) after CIK celltransfusion,respectively.The symptoms and characteristicsof HCC patients were relieved without major side effects.CONCLUSION:Our results indicated that autologous CIKcells can efficiently improve the immunological status inHCC patients,and may provide a potent approach for HCCpatients as the adoptive immunotherapy. AIM: To investigate the influence of autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells on the phenotypes of CIK effector cells, peripheral T lymphocyte subsets and dendritic cellsubsets in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected by a blood cell separator from 13 patients with HCC, then expanded by priming them with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) followed by monoclonal antibody (mAb) against CD3 and interleukin-2 (IL-2) the next day. CIK cells were characterized by flowcytometry on d 0, 4, 7, 10, 13 and 15 of incubation, respectively. Ten milliliters of venous blood was obtained from HCC patients before or 8-10 d after CIK cells were transfused in patients to assess the influence of CIK cells on thepercentages of effector cells, and proportions of DC1 or DC2 in peripheral blood by flow cytometry .RESULTS: After two weeks of in vitro incubation, thepercentages of CD3 ~ + CD8 ~ +, CD3 ~ + CD56 ~ +, and CD25 ~ + cellsincreased signif ICantly from 33.5 ± 10.1%, 7.7 ± 2.8%, and 12.3 ± 4.5% to 36.6 ± 9.0% (P <0.05), 18.9 ± 6.9% (P <0.01), and 16.4 ± 5.9% respectively.However, the percentages of CD3 ~ + CD4 ~ + NK cells had no significant difference between these percentages of CD3 ~ + and CD3 ~ + CD8 ~ + cells were kept at high levels during the whole incubation period, but also of CD25 ~ +, and CD3 ~ + CD56 ~ + cells began to decrease ond 7 and 13, respectively. These proportions of type Ⅰ dendriticcell (DC1) and type Ⅱ dendritic cell (DC2) subsets increasedfrom 0.59 ± 0.23% and 0.26 ± 0.12% before CIK cell therapyto 0.85 ± 0.27% and 0.43 ± 0.19% (all P <0.01) after CIK celltransfusion, respectively. These symptoms and characteristics of HCC patients were relieved without major side effects. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that autologous CIK cells can efficiently improve the immunological status in HCC patients, and may provide a potent approach for HCC patients as the adoptive immunotherapy.