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Virus-Risk: Reduced Antibodies after Chemo

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The team of scientists concluded that all of the major types of lymphocytes ‘dropped significantly’ after chemotherapy.
Among those lymphocytes were T and B cells and natural killer cells – which work together to defend against viral and bacterial infection.

In most instances, the effect of chemotherapy on lymphocytes was found to be short term.
Most of the lymphocyte levels returned to pre-chemotherapy levels within nine months.

Yet, the scientists found that chemotherapy had a long term effect on B cells – which produce antibodies – and helper T cells – which are responsible for helping antibody production.
Both B and T cells recovered nearly 65 per cent within the first six months.
However, those cells did not appear to recover after an additional three months.


And, the levels of antibodies that protect against tetanus and pneumococcus – the bacteria that leads to pneumonia – are also reduced.
Those antibodies stayed at low levels even after nine months.

They found that an anthracycline only regime was more damaging the B cells and helper T cells initially – but had a relatively full recovery after treatment.

Yet, using anthracyclines followed by taxanes was linked with sustained reductions in levels of immune cells – with poor recovery afterward.


Read more:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3418269/How-chemo-affects-breast-cancer-survivors-immune-systems-Antibodies-don-t-return-pre-chemo-levels-increasing-risk-viruses.html