[Change of T gamma, T mu cells and its clinical implications in cervical cancer]

In 58 patients with cervical cancer, T cells bearing Fc receptors for IgG (T gamma) or IgM (T mu) were detected with new simple methods. Helper, cytotoxic and suppressor activity of T gamma and T mu cells were also examined in responses to trinitrophenyl-modified autologous cells. The results were as follows: 1) T gamma cell % increases progressively as the tumor grows. T mu cell % was low (about 40%) in stage I approximately III. 2) In patients with regional lymph node metastasis, T gamma cell % significantly increased (28.7%), by contrast T mu cell % significantly decreased (26.2%). 3) After surgical removal of tumor, T gamma cell % fell rapidly to normal range, whereas a tendency to increase gradually was shown in T mu cell %. 4) Most suppressor activity was confined to T gamma cells. Helper and cytotoxic activity were mainly generated from T mu cells. These findings suggest that T gamma and T mu cell % may reflect not only the presence and progress of tumor but also activities of T cell subsets and that it would provide clinically useful information to assess changes of T gamma and T mu cells.