Depressed lectin-dependent and enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in patients with stage I cancer of the larynx.

Lectin-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (LDCC) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with stage I cancer of the larynx (LC) was evaluated using human adherent 3H-TdR-prelabeled HEp-2 carcinoma cells as targets at 50:1 effector-target ratio with 25 micrograms/ml concanavalin A (Con A) in a 24-hour assay. Under these conditions, but without Con A, no considerable natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NCMC) was performed by PBMC either from control or from LC donors. Depressed levels of LDCC, but augmented ADCC to chicken red blood cells were detected in LC patients. Natural killer activity to K562 targets was not different from that of control subjects. In parallel studies, normal Con A-induced blastogenesis and B cell counts, low T, and active T cell counts, as well as high Leu-11a+ cell counts were detected in patients with LC. The relationship between depressed LDCC and low T, and active T cell counts, and enhanced ADCC and high Leu-11a+ cell counts is suggested in stage I LC patients.