Abstract
The effects of preoperative Sizofiran (SPG) administration on cellular immunity in regional lymph nodes were studied in patients with head and neck cancer and compared with the effect on circulating lymphocytes in peripheral blood. SPG enhanced im-munological activities in the regional lymph nodes, as shown by increased cytotoxic activities of the effector cells and increased helper T lymphocytes and effector cells in the lymph nodes. The tumor-involved lymph nodes treated with SPG contained significantly fewer cytotoxic effector cells with decreased cytotoxic activities and fewer helper T lymphocytes than did uninvolved lymph nodes treated with SPG. The LAK cells derived from the regional lymph node, especially from the tumor-uninvolved nodes which were previouly treated with SPG were thought to have higher cytotoxic activities than those not treated with SPG.
