Assessment of the state of immunity in patients with tumors

Cellular immune status provides information on  the  relative  and  absolute  numbers  of  cell  populations (monocytes,  granulocytes  and  lymphocytes)  and subpopulations  of  lymphocytes  in  the  blood.  The  human body is equipped with a complex defence mechanism whose primary function is to distinguish foreign antigens from the body's  own  antigens  and  initiate  an  appropriate  immune response.  Historically,  innate  immunity  differs  from adaptive  immunity,  and  these  systems  work  closely together.  The  immune  response  is  mediated  by  both cellular  components  (B-  and  T-lymphocytes,  NK  cells, macrophages/monocytes,  granulocytes  and  antigen-presenting  cells)  and  humoral  components  (antibodies, complement  factors,  cytokines  and  other  soluble  effector molecules). [12,13].