Reduced natural killer cell activity and IL-2 production in malnourished cancer patients

Natural killer (NK) cell activity was measured in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from malnourished (MN) and well-nourished (WN) cancer patients and in healthy controls. A marked depression of NK activity was observed in MN cancer patients with moderate protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM), but not in WN cancer patients nor in the healthy controls. PBMC from MN cancer patients produced lower amounts of IL-2, as compared with healthy controls, when stimulated in vitro. In summary, it can be concluded that malnutrition, rather than malignancy, plays a major role in the immune dysfunction of cancer patients.