SUPPRESSED CELLULAR-IMMUNITY IN PATIENTS WITH NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA

The subsets and functions of lymphocytes were investigated in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The patients were divided into t wo groups comprising tumor-bearing patients and those in remission. Th ere was no difference in the proportion of T cells among tumor-bearing , remission and healthy control groups. The percentages of inducer/hel per T cells and natural killer cells were smaller in the tumor-bearing group than in the control group whereas the percentage of suppressor T cells was greater in the tumor-bearing group. Phytohemagglutinin-sti mulated blastogenesis was markedly suppressed in the tumor-bearing gro up. The responsiveness to interleukin-2 of blastogenesis and of natura l killer and lymphokine-activated killer activities was lowered in the tumor-bearing group. These parameters in the remission group were int ermediate between those of the tumor-bearing and control groups. These results suggest that cellular immunity is suppressed in patients with NPC and that the suppressed condition still remains even in remission . Immunotherapy is considered to be indispensable for the proper treat ment of NPC.