High frequency of immune dysfunctions in asbestos workers and in patients with malignant mesothelioma.
We have examined the primary immune responses, the numbers of total T (T11+) cells, T-helper (T4+) cells, T-suppressor (T8+) cells, and natural killer (NK) (Leu7+) cells, in 118 healthy control subjects and compared the data to those obtained from 20 patients with clinically diagnosed malignant mesothelioma and 375 long-term asbestos workers without neoplasia. The absolute numbers of total T (T11+) and T-helper (T4+) cells were normal in asbestos workers without neoplasia but were significantly reduced in patients with mesothelioma. T-suppressor (T8+) cells, on the other hand, remained unchanged in the patients but were significantly elevated among the asbestos workers. This resulted in a marked reduction in T-helper (Th) to T-suppressor (Ts) ratios in mesothelioma patients and in asbestos workers. Seventy percent of the mesothelioma patients (14 of 20) had significantly depressed NK-cell activity which could be augmented but not normalized by coincubation in patients' peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) with interferon (IFN). Among the asbestos workers three distinctive subgroups could be identified: heightened (H-NK), normal (N-NK), and low (L-NK) NK activity. The NK activity of the L-NK group could be stimulated but not normalized by coincubation with IFN, a finding closely resembling that in malignant mesothelioma patients. Phenotyping of the circulating NK cells revealed a unique Leu7+ subset in increased numbers with a brightly fluorescent property in stable mesothelioma patients with relatively stable or slowly progressive disease and in more than 30% of the asbestos workers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects; D002460:Cell Line; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007372:Interferons / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D001194:Asbestos; D007372:Interferons