[Nonspecific cell-mediated immunity of gynecologic cancer patients and related effects of chemotherapy and immunotherapy].

We investigated alteration in nonspecific cell-mediated immunity with the progress in the stages of gynecologic cancer, effects of carcinostatics on this alteration, and the significance of immunotherapy given for recovery of the affected cell-mediated immunities for cancers of the uterine neck, uterine body, and ovaries using the count of leukocytes, lymphocytes, T-cells, B-cells, IgGFcR+ T-cells, SI, and ADCC as indicators. The number of T-cells and SI began to decrease from stage I, showing their importance as parameters most accurately reflecting progress of the stage of the cancers. The number of IgGFcR+ T-cells showed no increasing tendency until stage III. ADCC decreased in stage IV, reflecting the pathosis of cancer in the end stage. Alteration in the number of T-cells and SI with time due to administration of carcinostatics has clearly showed that degree of impairment of nonspecific cell-mediated immunity is more dependent upon the kind of carcinostatics that the performance status of subject patients, and administration of ADR, MMC or CQ resulted in decreases not only in the number of T-cells and SI but also in ADCC and number of IgGFcR+ T-cells. Decreases in nonspecific cell-mediated immunity during treatment with such potent carcinostatics could not be prevented with OK-432 and PSK--even an improving tendency was not obtained. These immunotherapeutic agents exerted their effects to activate nonspecific cell-mediated immunity when they were given during the time when carcinostatics were stopped. But it cannot be readily judged whether these activating effects produce improvements in convalescence from gynecologic cancers as a nonspecific active immunotherapy. Follow-up study on effects of the multiple combination therapy should be carefully performed.