[Immunologic studies of lymph nodes in patients with maxillofacial tumors]

Starting from the basic concept that the regional lymph node, due to its important role in the defensive reaction to cancer, has a great value of information, the authors investigated 14 lymph nodes from patients with cancer in the maxillofacial region. The following immunological examinations were performed: T lymphocyte determination by means of the ovine erythrocyte rosette test; B lymphocyte determination by means of the mouse erythrocyte rosette test, with surface immunoglobulin estimation using the direct immunofluorescence technique; quantitative determination of immunoglobulins G, A and M in the lymph node extract. The results demonstrated that the determination of the absolute number of peripheral lymphocytes and of T rosettes as well as the immunoglobulin quantitation are very valuable. The decrease in T cells in the lymph node is obviously preceded by a similar development in the peripheral blood and seems to be a prognostic parameter. In lymph nodes in the maxillofacial region, a greater importance must be ascribed to IgA (as compared to the other immunoglobulins) than in other regions. The immunoreactivity against cancers in the maxillofacial region has a definite humoral component mainly determined by IgA. In addition to an increase in the number of samples examined by means of the aforementioned methods, parallel T cell determinations in the peripheral blood are advisable with regard to the evaluation by the influence of the cancer on the immunological system and for the purpose of prognostication.