Cyclic adenosine monophosphate-phosphodiesterase (cAMP-PDE) in lymphocytes from patients with stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Immunology and oral cancer

This paper summarises the evidence for the involvement of the immune response in the development of neoplasia, discusses the immunological abnormalities found in patients with head and neck carcinoma, and outlines recent attempts at treatment of patients with head and neck carcinoma by modulation of the immune response (immunotherapy).

Immunobiology of head and neck cancer: basic concepts

Patients with squamous cancer of the head and neck have unique perturbations of the immune system. These patients have marked depression of cellular immunity even in the early stages of disease. The known facts about the immunobiology and the immunodeficiencies that commonly occur are discussed. Also reviewed are the relationships of the immunologic deficits to stage of disease, to prognosis, and to the suspected etiologic factors of smoking, alcoholism, and malnutrition. Highlights are given of current immunotherapeutic trials. To date, most of the successful efforts in both immunologic research and immunotherapy of head and neck cancer have dealt with general, rather than specific, immune reactions. Further development in the area of specific immune responses may permit more meaningful measurements of tumor-specific reactions, thus yielding useful tools for immunodiagnosis as well as providing more effective and precise methods of immunotherapy.

The intracellular enzymatic response of neutrophils and lymphocytes in patients with precancerous states and cancer of the larynx

In patients with precancerous states and cancer of the larynx prior to and after radiotherapy exhibit the decreased activity of neutrophil beta-glucuronidase. Moreover patients treated by radiotherapy before the age of 6 to 9 years demonstrate deficiency of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase in the above cells. The main finding in lymphocytes of the patients studied was in the appearance by diffusion of the above enzymes and of acid phosphatase in the cytoplasm, reflecting their release from lysosomes and immunological mobilization of these cells. The authors discuss the possible role of neutrophil enzymatic deficiency in lowering the antitumour cytotoxic effect of these cells.