[Postoperative cell-mediated immunity in gastric cancer patients--with special reference to the effects of immunotherapy].

The cell-mediated immunity of gastric cancer subjects was investigated during the postoperative follow-up period from three to 12 months after surgery. The lymphocyte blastogenesis, the T cell count, the lymphocyte count and the lymphocyte percentage were significantly decreased in groups of experimental laparotomy and noncurative gastrectomy, compared with that of nonrecurrent cases after curative gastrectomy. The effects of the administration of immunopotentiators, the streptococcal preparation OK-432, and the protein-bound polysaccharide PSK, were studied in groups of curative gastrectomy. The lymphocyte blastogenesis, the T cell count and the lymphocyte count were slightly elevated in the OK-432 group.