Fig. 5

The effect of gemcitabine on effector lymphocytes. Ten pancreatic cancer patients were sampled during the first cycle of gemcitabine treatment, where gemcitabine was given once weekly for 3 weeks, followed by a resting period. Blood samples were collected at day 1, 8, 15 and 29 always before gemcitabine was given that day. Patient and healthy control (HC) samples were stained for CD3⁺ lymphocytes, CD4⁺ and CD4⁻ T cells (CD8⁺) and NK cells (CD56⁺CD16⁺). T cell activation was assessed by CD107a expression and the samples were analyzed by flow cytometry. Statistical differences between HCs and patients or between sample days were assessed by unpaired t-test with Welch’s correction or Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test, respectively (*P < 0.05, ****P < 0.0001)