RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship among breast cancer and negative life event and cell immunity. METHODS: A questionnaire survey using the Life Event by YANG Desen to investigate the family life problems, work problems, and social and other problems was conducted among 115 patients with breast cancer diagnosed by pathology and cytology and 115 gender, age, profession, education, and life habit-matched patients with benign breast diseases as controls. Fasting blood was drawn from all patients. Fluorescent-labeled bodies were added. Flow cytometry was made to count the immunocytes. RESULTS: The negative life event rate was 87% in the breast cancer group, higher than that in the control group (55%, P < 0.01). The rate of family problems in the breast cancer group was 63%, higher than that in the control group (40%). The total score of negative events was 31.5 +/- 9.7 in the breast cancer group, higher than that in the control group (17.3 +/- 5.6, P < 0.01). The percentage of CD(3) (total T cell) in the breast cancer group was 58.8 +/- 12.2%, significantly lower than that in the control group (63.9 +/- 9.9%, P < 0.01). There was no difference in the percentages of CD(4), CD(8), CD(4)/CD(8), and the percentage of natural killer cells (NK) between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer is closely correlated with negative life events, especially family problems concerning marriage and children. The negative life events are related to the decrease of total T cells, and unrelated to the percentages of other cells.