The investigation of the monocyte-mediated tumor-specific rosette formation and cytotoxic capacity of patients with thyroid cancer.
Fourteen patients suffering from highly differentiated thyroid cancer and 10 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease were tested in the present study. The tumor-specific autologous rosette formation of peripheral monocytes was determined and was found to be increased in cancer patients. Using the monocytes as effector and the covered, prelabelled autologous red blood cells as target, a cytotoxic assay was carried out. The rosette formation and cytotoxic ability correlated with the time passed since the operation, present clinical stage and the expansion of tumor found during the operation. In Hashimoto thyreoditis and Graves' disease elevated rosette formation and normal cytotoxic ability were detected.
D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors