title: Evaluation of the immune responsiveness in laryngeal cancer patients with specific and aspecific tests: first results of follow-up in 80 cases.
abstract: We have evaluated in 80 patients suffering with laryngeal carcinoma their specific and aspecific immune responsiveness. We used the E rosette-test, the PHA-induced in vitro stimulation and the in vitro specific LIF production. We chose to use the LIF production test both for its marked sensitivity and because the lymphokines--which are soluble mediators--act as a "bridge" between the different fields of the immune response. Furthermore in our previous research, we observed that the specific LIF production was influenced in a negative way by adherent cells of the peripheral blood that could behave as blocking factors. For what attains the autologous LIF production, before and after the removal of adherent cells, our results show that the patients suffering with a cancer staged as T3T4N1N2N3 exhibit much more marked blocking phenomena than the patients with a cancer staged as T1T2T3N0. In fact the results demonstrate that in this second group only 62% of the cases, after the removal of the adherent cells, showed an increase of LIF production, while this percentage rose to 83% for the patients with a more advanced disease. A similar pattern was found in those patients who showed a recurrence two of three years after the primary disease.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D007825:Laryngectomy; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D012397:Rosette Formation
chemical_list: D008222:Lymphokines; C010598:leukocyte inhibitory factor