[Effect of splenic mononuclear cells on autochthonous peripheral blood lymphocyte responses to mitogens in gastric cancer patients].

Mononuclear cells and their fractions which were prepared from spleens removed at the time of surgery for gastric cancer were treated with mitomycin C and their effect on autochthonous peripheral blood lymphocyte responses to PHA-P and Con A was assessed in coculture experiments. Splenic mitomycin C treated mononuclear cells from certain gastric cancer patients were found to have suppressor activity on peripheral blood lymphocyte responses to PHA-P and Con A and the cells with the activity were either plastic dish adherent cells or T-enriched cells alone or both of them. The suppressor activity were more frequently detected in patients with stage IV disease and the patients with the activity tended to exhibit more decreased cell mediated immunocompetence than those without it. Splenic mitomycin C treated mononuclear cells from certain gastric cancer patients were also found to have augmenting activity on peripheral blood lymphocyte responses to PHA-P and the cells with the activity were either plastic dish adherent cells or T-enriched cells or all of plastic dish adherent cells and T- and B-enriched cells.