Immune Responses of Mononuclear Cells from Regional Lymph Nodes, Spleen and Peripheral Blood of the Patients with Gastric Cancer with Reference to Lymphokine-Activated Killer Activity

Takao Suzuki, Takenori Ochiai, Matsuo Nagata, Yoshio Gunji, Kazuaki Nakajima, Kaichi Isono

Department of Surgery II, Chiba University School of Medicine

In order to evaluate the immune response of patients with gastric cancer, immunological examinations including an analysis of lmyphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity were performed. Materials were mononuclear cells derived from regional lymph nodes, the spleen and peripheral blood of 20 patients with gastric cancer. Spleen and peripheral blood LAK activities were higher than regional lymph node LAK activity (p<0.05). The percentage of suppressor T cells was lower in lymph nodes than in peripheral blood (p<0.05). In contrast, the percentage of killer T cells was almost the same among these tissues. Peripheral blood LAK activity induced without interleukin-2 was lower in patients with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis (p<0.05). The percentage of memory helper T cells was lower in group 1 lymph nodes of patients with lymph node metastasis than in those of patients without lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). However, LAK activity and the subpopulation of mononuclear cells were not influenced by serosal invasion. The present study reported the usefulness of immunological examinations including an analysis of LAK activity in patients with gastric cancer.

Key words
gastric cancer, lymphokine-activated killer activity of regional lymph nodes, spleen, perioheral blood

Reprint requests
Takao Suzuki Department of Surgery II, Chiba University School of Medicine
1-8-1 Inohana, Chuou-ku, Chiba-shi, 260 JAPAN

Accepted
September 14, 1994

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