ACTIVATED (HLA-DR(-LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS IN EARLY EPITHELIAL OVARIAN-CANCER AND MALIGNANT OVARIAN GERM-CELL TUMORS()) T)

We examined peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets before initiation of therapy in 79 healthy controls, 3 patients with endometriosis, 95 pat ients with common epithelial tumors of the ovary, 15 patients with ova rian germ cell tumors, and 3 patients with ovarian sex cord-stromal tu mors. In stage Ia/lb patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, the perc entages of activated CD4(+) (CD4(+)HLA-DR(+)) T cells and activated CD 4(+) T cells in the CD4(+) T-cell subsets were significantly higher th an those of healthy controls and patients with benign or borderline ep ithelial tumors of the ovary. These immunologic parameters were subseq uently decreased in patients in stage Ic and more advanced stages. In malignant ovarian germ cell tumors, a similar increase in the CD4(+) T -cell subsets was observed. Moreover, the percentage of activated CD8( +) T cells in the CD8(+) T-cell subsets in stage Ia/Ib patients increa sed significantly compared with those in healthy controls and patients with benign tumors. Our findings indicate that activated T lymphocyte s may play some roles in oncogenesis and progression of both epithelia l ovarian cancer and malignant ovarian germ cell tumors. (C) 1995 Acad emic Press, Inc.