CAN DAILY DIETARY ARGININE SUPPLEMENT AFFECT THE FUNCTION AND SUBPOPULATION OF LYMPHOCYTES IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED GASTRIC-CANCER

Since arginine can stimulate lymphocyte proliferation in the healthy h uman, its effect on lymphocyte proliferation in vitro was studied in 7 patients with far advanced gastric cancer. These patients with normal nourishment were ambulatory and could consume a regular diet. A daily dietary supplement of 30 g arginine for 7 days did not alter the tota l lymphocyte counts or the T/B cell ratio in the peripheral blood. Enh ancement of lymphocyte proliferation in response to mitogen stimulatio n was not observed. Furthermore, an in vitro study on the effect of ar ginine on phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation showe d that lymphocytes from gastric cancer patients had poorer responses t han those obtained from normal subjects, despite the supplement in the culture medium with normal serum, patient serum, or fetal bovine seru m. Arginine ingestion did not impair liver function and had no detecta ble side effects except transient nausea in 1 patient. These results i ndicate that dietary arginine supplement appears safe but does not sti mulate lymphocyte function in far advanced gastric cancer patients. Th e suppressed immune function in gastric cancer patients may be the res ult of their intrinsic lymphocyte defect.