[Immune reactivities of lymphocytes from peripheral blood, regional lymph nodes and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer].

Immune reactivities in 174 breast cancer patients were investigated. Immune reactivities were assessed by lymphocyte responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), suppressor cell activities, sera-induced suppressor cell activities, NK activities and autologous tumor-killing activities. Low responsiveness of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to PHA mitogen and an increase in the inductive activity of suppressor cells by sera were observed in breast cancer patients as compared with normal volunteers or patients with benign breast diseases. These impairments of immune reactivities were compared with those of patients with cancer of the digestive tract. Cytotoxicities against both K562 and autologous tumor cells were low or absent in the regional lymph node lymphocytes (LNL). Cytotoxicities against autologous tumor cells were absent in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The low NK activity of LNL was not due to coexistent suppressor cells but to a lack of active NK cells and/or their precursors. NK activities of LNL were augmented by IL-2 and OK-432, suggesting usefulness for local immune therapy.