[Immunity and neoplasms. Behavior of E rosette-forming lymphocytes in patients with malignant neoplasms]

The per cent and absolute figures of E rosette forming lymphocytes have been evaluated in the blood of normal subject and of patients with non-neoplastic diseases and with epithelial and lymphoreticular tumours. The percentage of rosetting lymphocytes was not affected by non-neoplastic diseases, whilst it was by tumours, especially by lymphoreticular ones. However differences were not statistically significant in view of the large dispersion of values. Absolute counts of rosetting lymphocytes displayed lesser variations. These findings are better explained by Schwartz's concept of immunoregulation than by Burnet's theory of immunosurveillance.