Cell-mediated immunity in patients with mycosis fungoides in clinical remission: effect of thymic humoral factor on the immunocompetence of the lymphocytes.
In 10 patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) who were in clinical remission following local treatment with nitrogen mustard, cell-mediated immunity was investigated by means of tests for lymphocytes, forming rosettes in the peripheral blood, and the graft-vs-host reaction as well as intradermal skin tests. The effect of thymic humoral factor (THF) on T lymphocytes with impaired immunecompetence was also investigated. The results provided evidence of various kinds of damage to the immunologic system in most of the patients. Of the 10 patients, 4 had low percentages of T cells. Eight of the 10 had a graft-vs.-host reaction which was weak or negative, and in 4 of these, the administration of THF to the lymphocytes induced an improvement in immunoreactivity. These results together with other recently reported data indicate that the determination of cell-mediated immunity in patients with MF may be of prognostic importance. Those patients whose T lymphocytes respond to treatment with THF are probably the best candidates for immunotherapy.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007121:Immunocompetence; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008297:Male; D008466:Mechlorethamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013951:Thymus Hormones; D008466:Mechlorethamine; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating