Surface markers of blood lymphocytes in bronchial carcinoma

The proportion of autologous rosette-forming, i.e. autoerythrocyte-binding, T-lymphocytes, was studied in 34 patients with untreated, operable bronchial carcinoma. The number of autorosettes in patients with bronchial carcinoma was considerably below the mean value for the normal control group. In patients with metastatic involvement of the regional lymph nodes at the time of surgery the reduction in the number of autorosettes was still more marked. On the 10th postoperative day after resection of the tumour and in case of remission five months after surgery, the number of autorosettes showed a significant rise approximating the normal value. The distribution of sheep-E-rosette-forming and of the "active-early" T-lymphocytes was also studied. On the evidence of the results, the number of autorosette-forming lymphocytes lends itself to a follow-up of bronchial carcinoma by early demonstration of remissions or recurrences.