The author studied delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity and peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subpopulations in 54 Patients with malignant tumors.
1. The number and total score of positive reactions in delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity were significantly decreased in cancer patients(p<0.005, p<0.05).
2. Percent OKT4^(+) T-lymphocyte in cancer patients were significantly decreased compared to normal control subjects(p<0.05), and it had positive correlation with total score of delayed cutaneous hrpersensitivity reactions(r=0.768).
3. Percent OKT8^(+) cells were not different from that of normal control subjects.
4. The ratio of OKT4^(+)/OKT8^(+) in cancer patients were not different from that of normal control subjects except in patients with colorectal carcinoma and malignant lymphomas.
5. Markers of activated T-lyinphocyte, OKT10^(+) and OKTal^(+)cells were increased in all the patient groups.
6. Leu7^(+) cells, reflecting natural killer cells, were not different from normal control subjects. These results suggest that the cancer patients have depresaed cellular immune functions, which mainly results from the decrease of helper T lymphocyte number, Short of functional assays of cellular immunity, the author concluded that the testing of delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity and enumeration of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, especially OKT4^(+) cells and activated 1cells provide useful informations on cellular immune reactivity in cancer patients. Further studies on prognostic value of these Parameters should be pursued.
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