PRODUCTION OF A FACTOR INHIBITING TUMOR-CELL MIGRATION IN PATIENTS WITH GASTRIC AND BREAST-CANCER

Production of a factor with a biological activity to inhibit the in vi tro tumor-cell migration (TCM) from peripheral blood E rosette-forming cells (ERFC), CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in patients with gastric. and breast carcinoma was investigated. The cells were stimulated for 2 or 24 hr with allogeneic gastric or breast cancer extracts in samples of cell suspensions. A microculture system at an initial cell concentrat ion from 2,500 cells to 1 cell per well was used. Feeder cells, PHA, I L-2-containing supernatant and cancer extract were added to each well. Ehrlich ascites tumor cells were employed in the migration-inhibition assay. ERFC and CD4(+) T cells produced in the culture supernatants a factor inhibiting TCM, when these cells were stimulated with cancer e xtracts, but not with extracts of benign tissue. Stimulated CD8(+) T c ells did not produce such a factor. The production of the factor inhib iting TCM in the microculture system was also significantly correlated with the type of cells in the wells, particularly with ERFC and CD4() T cells, but not with CD8(+) T cells (r=0.94, p<0.001). It could be suggested that this factor probably took part in in vivo blockading th e migration of tumor cells in small cancer foci.