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Responses of killer cells in head and neck cancer patients

S Fujieda1, H Saito, T Hoshino

  • 1Department of Otohinolaryngology, Fukui Medical School, Japan.

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology : Official Journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : Affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
|January 1, 1990
PubMed

Insights

Immunological function assays, including natural killer (NK) cell activity and skin tests, revealed significant differences in head and neck cancer patients across different stages. These tests are valuable for assessing immune status before treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Head and neck cancers significantly impact patient immune function.
  • Accurate assessment of immunological status is crucial for treatment planning.
  • Existing methods may not fully capture the complex immune response in cancer patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the immunological functions of patients with head and neck cancers.
  • To correlate in vitro immune cell activities with in vivo skin test responses.
  • To compare immune responses between head and neck cancer patients and those with gastrointestinal cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed in vitro natural killer (NK) cell activity, lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, and OK-432 activated killer cells.
  • Conducted in vivo purified protein derivative (PPD) and Su-PS skin tests.
  • Compared immune responses in 60 head and neck cancer patients across different stages (I, III, IV) and with stage IV gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences in NK, LAK, and OK-432 activated killer cell activities were observed between stage I and stage III/IV head and neck cancer patients.
  • PPD skin test results showed significant correlation with LAK activity.
  • Su-PS skin test results correlated significantly with OK-432 activated killer cell activity.
  • Stage IV head and neck cancer patients exhibited different responses to interleukin-2 and OK-432 compared to stage IV gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Conclusions:

  • In vitro immunological assays are highly effective for evaluating immune function in head and neck cancer patients.
  • These assays provide valuable insights, particularly before initiating biological response modifying treatments.
  • Correlations between specific skin tests and cellular immune activities highlight their utility in comprehensive immune assessment.

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