[T-and B-cell immune response of lymph nodes and immunosuppression correlating with metastatic spread of stomach cancer].

A correlation was established in 708 stomach cancer patients between number of involved lymph nodes, on the one hand, and T- and B-cell immune response and morphological tumor pattern, on the other. That in turn significantly correlated with T-cell immune response and tumor localization. However, B-cell immune response and tumor size showed an inverse and less pronounced correlation with number of involved lymph nodes. Immunosuppression and metastatic spread are inter-connected; both quickly develop in succession in a node nearest to tumor and then continue invade. Immunosuppression is induced by tumor cytokines and innate regulatory T-cells which can either suppress or stimulate immune response, irrespective of tumor size.