[The influence of a biological response modifier on thoracic lymphocytes--a study involving clinical cases and animal...

The influence of a biological response modifier on thoracic lymphocytes was studied clinically and experimentally. The thoracic lymphocytes and peripheral blood were taken from nine cases of gastric cancer relapse before and after the administration of hemolytic streptococci, OK-432 (PIC), for immunological examination. T: B cell ratio, T cell ratio and ADCC activity of the thoracic lymphocytes and peripheral blood were not changed but the NK activities of both were increased. The juvenilization of lymphocytes was reduced but that of the peripheral blood was not changed. The number and the ratio of T cells in the thoracic lymphocytes of Wistar rats were considerably increased by the administration of PIC but they were reduced in the peripheral blood. T-cell subsets of thoracic lymphocytes and peripheral blood were hardly changed by the administration of PIC. In the case immunological treatment, the thoracic lymphocytes and blood lymphocytes should be monitored because their biological specificities are different.