IMMUNOLOGICAL FEATURES OF TUMOR-INFILTRATING LYMPHOCYTES AND PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES IN OVARIAN-CANCER PATIENTS

OBJECTIVE: To determine the immunologic characteristics of tumor infil trating lymphocytes (TILs) in comparison with the corresponding periph eral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of patients with ovarian cancer in order to detect specific antitumor-immunocompetent cells. METHODS: Tumor in filtrating lymphocytes and PBLs were phenotyped by their surface marke rs, cytokine pattern, proliferation rate, and cytotoxic ability. RESUL TS: The phenotypes of both lymphocyte populations were very heterogene ous. Peripheral blood lymphocytes had a higher proliferative activity and cytotoxicity against natural killer-sensitive tumor cells than the corresponding TILs. Furthermore, TILs showed increased interleukin-4 expression where as PBLs, interferon-gamma production predominated. CO NCLUSION: Peripheral blood lymphocytes showed more potentially valuabl e behavioral characteristics than TILs. In the future we need to combi ne several methods in order to define immune cell with antitumor activ ity. These cells should be expanded ex vivo and stimulated specificall y for use in the immunotherapy of ovarian cancer. (C) 1998 by the Soci ety for Gynecologic Investigation.