Immunomodulation with β-glucan from in patients with endocrine-dependent breast cancer.

To evaluate the effect of pleuran (β-glucan from ) administration on the immune profile of patients with endocrine-dependent breast cancer (clinical stages I-II) in clinical and imaging remission. Antitumor cellular immunity (CD19, CD3, CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes and natural killer cells) of 195 patients (49 in the pleuran group and 146 in the control group) was measured by flow cytometry. We observed a significant increase in the absolute number of CD3, CD19, CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes in the pleuran group compared with the control group. Our results suggest potential benefit of continuous pleuran administration on immune rehabilitation of cellular antitumor immunity and better prognosis in breast cancer patients in remission.