Depressed mononuclear cell function in advanced neoplastic disease

Effect of cigarette smoking on cervical epithelial immunity: a mechanism for neoplastic change?

Langerhans' cells in cervical epithelium in colposcopic biopsy specimens were identified by immunocytochemical staining for S100 protein and T6 (CD1) antigen, and their density was quantified. Possible cofactors for the development of cervical neoplasia were examined for any effect on the cell counts per unit area. Current cigarette smoking was associated with a significant decrease in the Langerhans' cell population in both normal epithelium and lesions due to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Ex-smokers tended to have cell counts between those of smokers and non-smokers. There was a dose-response relation between number of cigarettes smoked daily and effect on cell counts. These findings of a local immunological effect of smoking on cervical epithelium may explain the means by which cigarette smoking contributes to the development of cervical neoplasia.

Prognostic factors in borderline and invasive ovarian tumors of the common epithelial type

Present reports show that surgical factors, response to therapy and histological criteria are important for predicting the prognosis of patients with common epithelial types of ovarian tumors. Newer techniques such as morphometry, DNA cytometry, immunological and immunopathological techniques may help to define prognostic factors even more accurately. As a result, these recently developed methods may enhance the value of well-established classical predictors of the outcome in case of borderline or invasive ovarian tumour.

Lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood and malignant effusions of cancer patients

The percentage of total T lymphocytes and helper and suppressor cells was determined in the peripheral blood and pleural and abdominal effusions of patients with advanced cancer. The ratio of helper to suppressor cells in the peripheral blood and in the effusions was calculated in each case. The percentage of total T lymphocytes and suppressor cells was found to be in a normal range. The percentage of helper cells in patients' peripheral blood and in ascites was slightly lower than normal. However, the percentage of helper cells in the pleural effusion was significantly higher than in the blood. The ratio of helper to suppressor cells in the pleural effusion was 1.46, compared to 0.82 in the blood (P less than 0.01). In patients with ascites the ratio in the blood was 1.05 and in the effusion 1.28. The ratio of helper to suppressor cells of all patients in the peripheral blood was 0.94, as compared to 1.36 in the effusion fluid (P less than 0.05). The imbalance in the T cell subsets found is most probably due to immunodepressions in the peripheral blood and immune reactivity in the effusions.