[Diagnosis of cancer using lymphocyte electrophoresis (3): Electrophoretic mobility, interleukin 1 and prostaglandin E2 productions of monocytes in peripheral blood of cancer patients].

The S/F ratio of slow electrophoretic mobility cells (less than 0.95 micron/sec/V/cm) to fast mobility cells (greater than or equal to 0.95) increased significantly in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of cancer patients. Since one of slow mobility cells was mainly composed of monocytes, the relationship between the mobility and the functions of monocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with cancer was examined. The cancer patients (total 27) consisted of 12 patients with rectum, 7 with colon, 3 with stomach, one with ovary and 4 with recurrent cancers and of 3 with stage 1, 11 with stage 2, 3 with stage 3 and 6 with stage 4 + 5. We determined the releases of interleukin 1 (IL-1) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) from monocytes, which were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, as an index for the function of monocytes. The mobility of monocytes and productions of IL-1 and PGE2 from monocytes decreased with the stage of cancer patients, indicating a decreased function of monocytes in the patients. These findings suggest that S/F ratio of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and mobility, IL-1 and PGE2 productions of monocytes are a good index for the judgement of treatment efficacy of cancer.