Mobilization of dendritic cells in cancer patients treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and chemotherapy.

The number of dendritic cells (DC) circulating in the peripheral blood of cancer patients were monitored at multiple time points during chemotherapy and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support. DC were identified via the lack of expression of standard lineage markers and high expression of HLA-DR (LN-/DR+). The expression of DC-associated markers, including CD83, CD11c, IL-3Ralpha (CDw123) and CD86, within this LN-/DR+ population was also monitored.