RESPONSE FOR OK-432 (PICIBANIL) IN CANCER PATIENTS AND CHANGE OF IMMUNOLOGICAL PARAMETER FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF OK-432 (PICIBANIL)

Abstract

We have been using streptococcal preparation OK-432 as a non-specific immunotherapeutic agent for head and neck cancers. OK-432 has been reported to elicit a generalized cellular humoral immune response. Recently many investigators have reported the potential usefulness of the Su-PS skin test reaction for evaluating the therapeutic response to OK-432. However, it is not clear how the Su-PS skin test actually reacts and what components of the Su-PS antigen, the Su-PS skin test reaction actually depends upon.
In order to solve these questions, we investigated the relationship between the skin test reaction and leukocyte migration inhibition test using Su-Protein antigen and PPD antigen. Besides we measured the agglutinin titre against streptococcal cells as humoral immune response and examined the usefulness as a immunological parameter. Conclusions of this study are:
1. The Su-PR skin test is a useful parameter since it generates essentially the same reaction as the Su-PS skin test does and also the Su-Protein antigen is much pure than the Su-PS antigen.
2. The Su-PR skin test is a useful parameter for estimating the clinical response to the OK-432.
3. The agglutinin titre against streptococcal cells is a reliable parameter for evaluating the response to the OK-432 injected transdermally.
4. The agglutinin titre against streptococcal cells is not a reliable parameter for estimating the clinical effectiveness of the OK-432 therapy.