Serum-mediated immunosuppression in lung cancer

Abstract

Immunosuppression in 45 patients with lung cancer was studied by examining delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to DNCB and by analyzing the effect of the patient's serum on the proliferative response of normal donor lymphocytes. Both diminution of DNCB reactivity and inhibition of the pro-liferative response of normal donor lymphocytes to mitogens were associated with the stage of the disease and the presence of unresected tumor. Suppres-sive sera were associated with poor prognosis. The suppressive effects of patients' sera on lymphocytes from a normal donor suggest that the immuno-suppression seen in lung cancer may be mediated by serum factors. The significant association of clinically evident tumor with this serum-mediated im-munosuppression further suggests that the tumor itself could account for the appearance of these factors in the host. The clinical implications of these findings may be useful for designing new clinical trials. Cancer 43:917-924, 1979.

Reduced mitogenic stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a prognostic parameter for the course of breast cancer: a prospective longitudinal study

“…Previous studies by other investigators (Whittaker et al, 1971;Nimberg et al, 1975;Giuliano et al, 1979;North et al, 1984;Mizoguchi et al, 1992) (Yu et al, 1977;North et al, 1984) or an alteration in signal transduction moleules (Mizoguchi et al, 1992), must be considered.…”

“…Several studies have demonstrated that patients with cancer as well as experimental animals with transplanted tumours show a decrease in delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions and experience cutaneous anergy (Stein et al, 1976;Broder and Waldmann, 1978;Giuliano et al, 1979). This fact was attributed to an induction of suppressor cells (Kirchner, 1978;Yu et al, 1977;North and Bursuker, 1984), the emergence of soluble suppressive factors (Whittaker et al, 1971;Nimberg et alt, 1975;North et alt, 1984) or to a lack of lymphokines (Fearon et alt, 1990) associated with the development of neoplasms.…”

“…The initial decrease in lymphocyte proliferation could be due to the presence of the tumour and its influence upon the immune system. Such assumptions can be made on the basis of data obtained in humans with cancer as well as in experimental animals which demonstrated decreased DTH and a defect in lymphocyte proliferation in the presence of neoplastic tissue (Stein et al, 1976;Broder et al, 1978;Giuliano et al, 1979). Several reasons have been discussed for these findings, including defective lymphokine production and an increase in the production of suppressor factors by the tumour (Whittaker et al, 1971;Nimberg et al, 1975;North et al, 1984;Mizoguchi et al, 1992).…”

Immunotherapy of Lung Cancer

“…49 Immunologic deficiency, as measured by various in vivo and in vitro techniques and involving both cell-mediated and humoral immunity, has been observed in most types of lung cancer. 9,34,41,49,55,62,66,70,80,110,125 Immunocompetence is one of the most important survival-related factors in lung cancer patients. 55,61,62,70 New evidence suggests that the tumor elaborates substances that are responsible for the suppression of cell-mediated immunity, and recent observations have indicated that suppressor cells may have a central role in this immunosuppression.…”

“…55,61,62,70 New evidence suggests that the tumor elaborates substances that are responsible for the suppression of cell-mediated immunity, and recent observations have indicated that suppressor cells may have a central role in this immunosuppression. 14,34,37,65,80,97,125 Matthay and associates examined suppressor cells in peripheral blood, thoracic lymph nodes, and tumor of lung cancer patients. 80 They documented a progressive increase in suppressor cells from peripheral blood to thoracic lymph nodes to tumor, and they suggest that an increase in suppressor cells is at least partially responsible for tumor propagation in lung cancer patients.…”