Lymphocyte number and stress parameter modifications in untreated breast cancer patients with depressive mood and previous life stress.

Depressive mood disorders and severe, chronic stressful life events (DSM-III-R criteria) were more frequently diagnosed in 106 breast cancer patients with respect to 37 patients with benign breast diseases (control group) (p < 0.001), during a stressful period such as hospital admission, diagnosis uncertainty, and when awaiting surgery. The study was performed 5 +/- 3 days before histological diagnosis had been done. Controls showed reduced 24-h diuresis and low catecholamine excretion (norepinephrine, NE; and epinephrine, E) that positively correlated with 24-h diuresis (p < 0.001) and CD3+ lymphocytes (p = 0.056), as during a normal stress response. In contrast, breast cancer patients showed increased 24-h diuresis (with respect to controls p < 0.001) and catecholamine values (p < 0.05). Patients' 24-h diuresis correlated positively with NE (p = 0.02) and 17-ketosteroids (p = 0.004); blood cortisol correlated positively with CD3+ (p = 0.01), CD4+ (p = 0.02), CD8+ (p < 0.01), CD16+ (p = 0.01) lymphocytes and negatively with E (p < 0.03); catecholamines correlated negatively with CD8+ (p = 0.006). These preliminary data are discussed in relation to upregulation of the adrenergic system and the different mechanisms of immune system regulation involved in breast cancer patients, compared with those in subjects with benign breast disease. The differences in these mechanisms may be a result of an imbalance of the bi-directional regulatory circuit of the psycho-neuro-endocrine-immune system, caused by previous life stress or the presence of the tumor mass.