title: Indomethacin-mediated enhancement of lymphocyte response to mitogens in healthy subjects and lung cancer patients.
abstract: Indomethacin (prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor) was found to be capable of enhancing the mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferative responses of healthy subjects and patients with lung cancer. A whole-blood culture technique was used. Indomethacin had no mitogenic activity. We observed a greater enhancement of lymphocyte response by indomethacin in weak responders as compared with strong responders in healthy subjects and lung cancer patients. A greater enhancement was also noted in lung cancer patients with active disease as compared with lung cancer patients in remission. In a separated cell culture system, the indomethacin exerted no effect on purified T cells in the absence of monocytes, while this agent exerted its enhancement effect on T lymphocyte response in the presence of autologous monocytes of lung cancer patients. This suggests that monocytes (suppressor cells) may secrete prostaglandins, which are responsible for the impairment of T lymphocyte response in lung cancer patients.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D003208:Concanavalin A; D007213:Indomethacin