Cluster of differentiation 8 T-cell population in the laryngeal mucosa of smokers with laryngeal cancer.

Objective: To study the cluster of differentiation 8 population in the laryngeal mucosa of patients with laryngeal carcinoma. To our knowledge this is the first paper to address this issue. Methods: The study group included 40 patients with known laryngeal cancer who were scheduled for laryngectomy. The control groups included 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers who were scheduled for microlaryngeal surgery. Specimens from the three groups were processed for histopathological and histochemical evaluation. Results: In patients without cancer of the larynx, the number of cluster of differentiation 8 lymphocytes was greater in smokers than non-smokers. The number of cluster of differentiation 8 lymphocytes was greatest in smokers with laryngeal cancer, and the difference between this group and the two control groups was statistically significant. Conclusion: The study showed that smoking increased the number of cluster of differentiation 8 T-lymphocytes in the laryngeal mucosa. The increase was greatest in patients who had developed laryngeal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]