Morphology of the lymph nodes draining renal adenocarcinoma in relation to immunological functions.

One hundred and thirty-four lymph nodes from forty-seven patients with renal adenocarcinoma and the same number of regional nodes from sixty-one patients with gastric ulcer were ewwuated histologically by using the standardized reporting system introduced by Cottier, Turk & Sobin (1973). Special attention was focused on the morphologic features which correlate with the immunological responses of these lymph nodes. The cellular elements of the antibody response were found to be active more often in the ulcer series than in the cancer series. On the other hand, the constituents of the cell-mediated immune system were depressed more often in the nodes draining renal carcinomas. The significance of the different immune responses evoked by these two diseases is discussed and the conclusion is drawn that there is some degree of derangement of both humoral and cell-mediated immune systems in the regional lymph nodes of renal adenocarcinoma. The applicability of the reporting system used in assessing the morphology of human lymph nodes is to be emphasized.