We have previously shown in women with operable breast cancer, that both peripheral blood (PBDCs) and tumour-draining axillary lymph node DCs (LNDCs) were dysfunctional and switched off, as assessed by phenotypic profile (HLA-DR, CD86 and CD40) and functional assays in vitro (MLDCR, autologous purified protein derivative (PPD) stimulation assay) [15]. Here, CD86 is linked to breast cancer.