Representation of T cell functions in liver bearing hepatocellular carcinoma.

Thymus-derived cells (T cells) were stained by the immunofluorescent technique, and found to be predominate around the cancer cell nests, in the interstitium, and in the lumen of the sinusoid of the liver bearing hepatocellular carcinoma (hepatoma). The marked T cell predominance in the liver obtained at autopsy in 19 of 13 patients with hepatoma indicates that specific T cell-mediated immunity may be maintained even in the terminal stage of cancer in these patients.