Evaluation of phenotype of mononuclear host cells isolated from primary tumour and peripheral blood of patients with laryngeal carcinoma.

Mononuclear host cells isolated from primary laryngeal carcinoma were assessed by means of indirect immunofluorescence with a panel of monoclonal antibodies against various lymphocyte subsets and macrophages. Tumours of various staging groups were examined in parallel with cells isolated from patient and donor peripheral blood (PBL). It was found that percentage values of cells bearing T3 and T4 phenotype were reduced both in tumour infiltrating cells (TIC) and in PBL population. The fall in T4+ cells in PBL from cancer patients in T3 and T4 staging groups was statistically significant (p less than 0.01) as compared with donor cells. Corresponding values for T8+ cells from TIC were increased in T1 and T2 staging groups of cancer, but showed a gradual fall in advanced stages. The T4+/T8+ cell ratio was decreased in both TIC and PBL cells. The HNK-1+ (NK) cell pattern in TIC was analogous to that for T8+ cells, i.e. the cell percentage decreased with advance in tumour growth. Corresponding values for OKM-1+ were increased in TIC and in patient blood, though in TIC they grew in proportion to tumour growth. Ia+ (HLA-DR+) cells in peripheral blood were significantly increased in patients versus those of donors (p less than 0.01), but only in T3 and T4 staging groups of examined cancer. These results show that subsets of tumour infiltrating cells in laryngeal carcinoma are a complex phenomenon, associated with growth and progression of tumour.