[Local immunotherapy with OK-432 for malignant gliomas--immunohistochemical analysis of chronological changes of tumor tissues].

Chronological changes of glioma tissues treated with local immunotherapy with OK-432 were examined by immunohistochemical method. OK-432 was injected into glioma tissues through Ommaya's reservoir 3 days (3 patients), 7 days (2 patients) and 14 days (2 patients) prior to the operation. Frozen sections surgically obtained from these patients were stained with avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method using Leu-series monoclonal antibodies for pan T lymphocytes (Leu-1), cytotoxic/suppressor T lymphocytes (Leu-2 a), helper/inducer T lymphocytes (Leu-3 a), B lymphocytes (Leu-12), MHC class I antigen (beta 2m) and MHC class II antigen (HLA-DR). In 2 out of 7 glioma tissues obtained before local injection of OK-432, only few T lymphocytes were found infiltrating around the small blood vessels. In all glioma tissues obtained 3 and 7 days after injection, coagulation necrosis of glioma tissues was observed within 1-2 cm from Ommaya's tube and many T lymphocytes granulocytes and macrophages were infiltrating diffusely in the glioma tissues. Whereas in all glioma tissues obtained 14 days after injection, coagulation necrosis was also observed, however granulocytes and macrophages were scarce. The most of the infiltrating cells were T lymphocytes. Examination of T lymphocytes phenotypes revealed that both cytotoxic/suppressor and helper/inducer phenotypes of T lymphocytes were intermingled with each other in all cases. beta 2m was expressed on the most of glioma cells in all cases before and after injection. Whereas HLA-DR antigen was expressed on the tumor cells in 4 out of 7 cases before injection, however this antigen was expressed in all cases after injection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)