[Effect of intrapleural and/or intraperitoneal lentinan therapy on carcinomatous pleuritis and peritonitis with...

Eleven patients, seven with carcinomatous pleuritis and four with carcinomatous peritonitis, were treated with the intrapleural and/or intraperitoneal administration of Lentinan (4 mg/week X 4). And the following results were obtained. (1) Eight patients revealed a clinical effect; malignant effusion disappeared in two and diminished in two. In six, the cytological grade decreased. (2) Subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and pleural or peritoneal effusion mononuclear cells (PEMNC) were examined using monoclonal antibodies (OKT4, OKT8, Leu7, CD8 X CD11). These showed no change during the course of treatment. (3) NK activities of PBL didn't improved but those of PEMNC significantly improved (P less than 0.01) during this therapy. Anti-Daudi activities of PEMNC tended to be augmented during this therapy. Especially in effective cases, anti-Daudi activities were highly augmented. (4) As a side effect, only one showed an elevation of body temperature. These results indicate that intrapleural and/or intraperitoneal Lentinan administration is a useful treatment for carcinomatous pleuritis and peritonitis.