Large granular lymphocytes in blood of healthy donors and patients with tumors.

The percentage of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) in the peripheral blood of patients with less advanced tumors (T1 and T2) averaged 2.15 +/- 1.3 as compared with 3.8 +/- 1.5 in patients with more progressive tumors (T3 and T4) and with metastases. The values of LGL remained constant as long as 6 weeks both in the diseased and healthy subjects and were not age- nor sex-related. This observation confirms the usefulness and reliability of the test as one of the markers of the immunologic state since LGL are considered to represent NK cells responsible for resistance to malignant growth.