[Effect of gynecologic cancer sera on functions of monocyte from healthy volunteers]

The investigation was designed to analyse effect of cancer sera on monocyte functions. Sera were sampled from 42 gynecologic cancer patients. Monocytes were collected from healthy volunteers. After pre-incubation in media containing cancer sera or control sera, enzyme (beta-galactosidase) activity, chemotaxis, phagocytosis and helper function on T-cell mitogen response of monocytes were assayed. The results were as follows; 1) Beta-galactosidase activity of monocytes pre-incubated in cancer sera was not different from that in control sera. 2) Chemotaxis, phagocytosis and helper function on T-cell blastoid response of monocytes pre-incubated in cancer sera were significantly reduced compared with that in control sera. In uterine cervical cancer, the inhibitory effect of sera increased in parallel with its clinical stage. Thus, it was demonstrated that sera of gynecologic cancer patients have inhibitory effect on monocyte functions, and it was suggested that cancer sera play an immuno-suppressive role through inhibition of monocyte functions in cancer bearing state.