Peripheral blood lymphocytes and their subpopulations in lung carcinoma.

In 166 patients with lung carcinoma peripheral blood lymphocytes and their subpopulastions (AE-RFC, TE-RFC, EAC-RFC) were examined. In comparison with control--the mean values of the absolute counts of the blood lymphocytes did not show statistically significant changes in various stages of lung cancer. However, the count of active T lymphocytes as well as total T lymphocytes were slightly lowered in the stage I of the disease, and significantly decreased in stages II and III. The lowest decrease of T lymphocytes was found in adenocarcinoma and the greatest--in microcellular cancer.