Studies on Cancer-Specific Cell-mediated Immunity in Cancer Patients : Mixed Lymphocyte Tumor Cell Interaction using 3M KCl Extracts of Autochthonous Tumor

Cancer-specific immune responsiveness in cancer patients was evaluated with lymphoblastogenesis in mixed lymphocyte tumor cell interaction (MLTI) using 3M KCl extract of autochthonous tumor. Subjects included 25 gastric, 13 colon, 20 breast and 5 thyroid cancer patients. The results obtained were as follows ; 1) 22 of 63 cancer patients (35%) showed positive reaction of MLTI (S.I.≧2). They included 9 of 25 gastric cancer, 7 of 13 colon cancer, 5 of 20 breast cancer and 1 of 5 thyroid cancer. 2) There was a significant interrelation between MLTI-lymphoblastogenesis and lymphoblastogenesis with PHA or ConA. 3) The degree of MLTI-lymphoblastogenesis and the clinical stages of cancer patients was inversely correlated. 4) The degree of MLTI-lymphoblastogenesis and the intensity of local mononuclear cell infiltration was correlated. The intensity of local mononuclear cell infiltration was inversely correlated to the clinical stages of the cancer patients. 5) There was no significant relationship between the degree of MLTI-lymphoblastogenesis and the survival of cancerp ptients. These results indicate that 3M KCl extracts from cancer tissues contain the tumor associated antigen which autologous lymphocytes react on. MLTI-lymphoblastogenesis with these extracts may be usefull as a parameter of cancer-specific cell-mediated immunity of cancer patients