Abstract
We studied the pathology of cellular immunosuppression, its underlying mechanismand the effect ofpreoperative administration of PSK on immunopotency, and obtained the following results. 1) Surgical stress led tocellular immunosuppression ingastro-intestinal cancer patients.2) The immunological pathology principallyinvolved reduced ratios of helperinducer T cells, cytotoxic T cells and NK cells, and an elevated ratio of suppressor T cells in peripheral lymphocytes.3) The underlying mechanism was tracted to the involvement of increasedendocrine hormones, such as catecholamine and cortisol, and increased acute phase reactants, such asIL-6 andIAP.4) It is important to prevent cellular immunosuppression during the phase between the pre-and post-operativeperiods. In this context, PSK, a BRM, isuseful, as it contributes to the maintenace of immunopotency whenadministered preoperatively.
