Immunomodulating capacity of the monocyte-macrophage system in patients with uterine cervical cancer

The authors recently measured the Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and Prostaglandin E (PGE) activity of the monocyte-macrophage system (M phi) in vitro. The results indicated that immunodeficiency in cancer patients is closely associated with reduced IL-1 activity and increased PGE activity of M phi. Immunosuppressive factors in the serum of cancer patients seem to play some role in the mechanism of such change. Therefore, when potentiating M phi in nonspecific immunotherapy, it seems important to suppress secretion of PGE (a suppressor factor of M phi origin which is secreted simultaneously) to make this therapy more effective in advanced cancer cases. Based on these results, an animal experiment was carried out in which tumor-bearing mice were treated with OK-432 and Indomethacin (Ind.) (a PG inhibitor). The results of this experiment suggested that this combination therapy reinforces the M phi-mediated immunopotentiation, resulting in a stronger antitumor effect of OK-432. When we used this combination therapy in advanced cancer cases, the changes observed in immunological parameters also indicated an immunopotentiating effect, i.e., an antitumor effect. These results indicate that the optimum application of BRM therapy should be decided on the basis of an understanding of the immunological factors in the patient.