0 6 Immune immune JJ 7 16 functions function NNS 16 17 , , , 18 26 clinical clinical JJ 27 37 parameters parameter NNS 38 41 and and CC 42 49 hormone hormone NN 50 58 receptor receptor NN 59 65 status status NN 66 68 in in IN 69 75 breast breast NN 76 82 cancer cancer NN 83 91 patients patient NNS 91 92 . . . 94 96 We we PRP 97 101 have have VBP 102 109 carried carry VBN 110 113 out out RP 114 115 a a DT 116 124 detailed detailed JJ 125 133 analysis analysis NN 134 136 of of IN 137 140 the the DT 141 149 cellular cellular JJ 150 156 immune immune JJ 157 166 functions function NNS 167 169 of of IN 170 176 breast breast NN 177 183 cancer cancer NN 184 192 patients patient NNS 193 195 in in IN 196 206 comparison comparison NN 207 211 with with IN 212 219 healthy healthy JJ 220 228 controls control NNS 228 229 . . . 230 231 A a DT 232 240 possible possible JJ 241 252 correlation correlation NN 253 260 between between IN 261 267 immune immune JJ 268 271 and and CC 272 280 clinical clinical JJ 281 291 parameters parameter NNS 292 295 was be VBD 296 304 analysed analyse VBN 305 307 in in IN 308 310 50 50 CD 311 317 breast breast NN 318 324 cancer cancer NN 325 333 patients patient NNS 333 334 . . . 335 341 Immune immune JJ 342 352 parameters parameter NNS 352 353 , , , 354 361 natural natural JJ 362 368 killer killer NN 369 373 cell cell NN 374 377 and and CC 378 379 T t NN 380 390 lymphocyte lymphocyte NN 391 400 functions function NNS 401 404 and and CC 405 408 the the DT 409 416 numbers number NNS 417 419 of of IN 420 431 circulating circulate VBG 432 433 T t NN 434 445 lymphocytes lymphocyte NNS 446 450 were be VBD 451 459 analysed analyse VBN 460 467 against against IN 468 471 the the DT 472 480 clinical clinical JJ 481 491 parameters parameter NNS 492 502 comprising comprise VBG 503 506 the the DT 507 513 tumour tumour NN 514 520 burden burden NN 520 521 , , , 522 525 the the DT 526 531 stage stage NN 532 534 of of IN 535 538 the the DT 539 546 disease disease NN 547 550 and and CC 551 554 the the DT 555 565 expression expression NN 566 568 of of IN 569 576 hormone hormone NN 577 586 receptors receptor NNS 587 589 on on IN 590 593 the the DT 594 600 tumour tumour NN 600 601 . . . 602 604 In in IN 605 610 order order NN 611 613 to to TO 614 621 analyse analyse VB 622 625 the the DT 626 632 immune immune JJ 633 641 function function NN 642 646 data datum NNS 647 658 effectively effectively RB 658 659 , , , 660 663 low low JJ 664 674 responders responder NNS 675 679 were be VBD 680 690 identified identify VBN 691 695 with with IN 696 705 stringent stringent JJ 706 713 cut-off cut-off JJ 714 720 values value NNS 720 721 . . . 722 734 Considerably considerably RB 735 741 higher high JJR 742 753 proportions proportion NNS 754 756 of of IN 757 760 low low JJ 761 771 responders responder NNS 772 776 were be VBD 777 782 found find VBN 783 788 among among IN 789 792 the the DT 793 800 patient patient NN 801 811 population population NN 811 812 . . . 813 821 Elevated elevated JJ 822 829 numbers number NNS 830 832 of of IN 833 844 circulating circulate VBG 845 846 T t NN 847 858 lymphocytes lymphocyte NNS 859 862 and and CC 863 875 CD3-directed cd3-directed JJ 876 885 cytolysis cytolysis NN 886 896 correlated correlate VBD 897 901 with with IN 902 905 the the DT 906 916 expression expression NN 917 919 of of IN 920 929 oestrogen oestrogen NN 930 939 receptors receptor NNS 940 953 independently independently RB 954 956 of of IN 957 960 the the DT 961 982 clinical/histological clinical/histological JJ 983 993 parameters parameter NNS 993 994 . . .