Squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix stage IB: numbers and reactivities of pelvic lymph node T cells.

Ten patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix stage IB (FIGO) treated by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection had node biopsies taken for immunological studies. There was no evidence of metastases. Node biopsies from near the cervix (the obturator region) contained significantly more lymphoid cells per gram of tissue than biopsies from more distant (common iliac) nodes. The percentage of T cells was similar in the two nodes, but significantly lower than in mononuclear cell suspensions from peripheral blood. All patients responded to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin. Positive T-cell responses to herpes simplex virus antigen were found in seven patients. Six patients responded to stimulation by the chlamydial antigen LGV-2. Lymph node T cells gave responses higher than those from peripheral blood T cells. Obturator node T cells from patients pretreated with intracavitary radium had antigen-specific responses lower than those of the patients operated without prior irradiation. The results indicate that the pelvic lymph nodes are important reservoirs for sensitized T cells.