[Prevention of immunodeficiency induced by cancer chemotherapy with BCG]

MFC (MMC, 5-FU and cytosine-arabinoside) therapy applied with the liver organism Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for the treatment of postoperative patients with cancer of the digestive organs presenting at stage II and III. Immunological parameters included skin reaction by purified protein derivative (PPD), lymphatic blastogenesis test using phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and lymphatic subsets. The frequency of MFC therapy was significantly higher in the MFC plus BCG group than in the MFC group (p less than 0.001). At the completion of MFC therapy, both of PHA blastogenesis rate, OKT4/OKT8 and OKT3 were all within the normal limits. The PPD skin reaction was positive (18.2 +/- 4.0mm) as before the start of MFC therapy. These results suggest that BCG immunotherapy may potentiate the effect of chemotherapy.