Clinical study of lymphocyte subsets in regional lymph node of head and neck cancer patients

Abstract

The distribution of immunocompetent cells in regional lymph node of 19 patients of head and neck cancer (repetition of 2 patients) was investigated by lazar flow cytometry using the monoclonal antibody against the lymphoid surface antigen. A lymphadenitis patient and a malignant lymphoma patient were also investigated.
The monoclonal antibodies used in this study and their specificities were T 3 (CD3: mature T lymphocytes), T 4 (CD 4: helper/inducer T lymphocytes), T 8 (CD 8: suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocytes), B 1 (CD 20: pan B lymphocytes), I 2 (B lymphocytes, activated T lymphocytes and some monocytcs), NKH-1 (natural killer cell).
We divided the regional lymph nodes into five classes in the following way: no metastasis group (N (-) group (n=17)), negative lymph node cf metastasis cases (N (+) negative group (n=19)), positive lymph node of metastasis cases (N (+) positive group (n=14)), lymphadenitis (n=2), malignant lymphoma (n=1).
The existence of metastasis of the regional lymph node was judged morphologically by H.E. staining.
The percentage of T 3⁺, T 4⁺ showed tendencies of decrease in the following order: N (-) group, N (+) negative group and N (+) positive group (p<0.05, P<0.01).
The percentage of B 1⁺ and I 2⁺ showed tendencies of increase in the following order: N (-) group, N (+) negative group and N (+) positive group (B 1: p<0.1, p<0.02).
The “T helper/T suppressor” ratio (T 4⁺/T 8⁺) showed significant increase in the following order: N (-) group, N (+) negative group and N (+) positive group (p<0.05, p<0.01).
They showed no specific increase and decrease of T 8⁺ lymphocytes in N (-) group, N (+) negative group and N (+) positive group. It was considered that the decrease of T 4⁺/T 8⁺ was mainly due to the decrease in T 4⁺ lymphocytes.
NKH-1⁺ lymphocyte was under 5% in all lymph nodes, and its average was about 1%. In regard to the percent of N (-) group and N (+) negative group, they showed a significant increase (p<0. 1), so we considered that it was due to the defect of NKH-1⁺ lymphocytes in the lymph node.
The amount of lymphocytes subsets in lymph nodes of lymphadenitis were almost that of those in N (-) group.
In regard to the lymphocytes subscts in malignant lymphoma, they showed an extreme decrease of T 3⁺ & T 4⁺ lymphocytes, and an almost high level of B 1⁺ & I 2⁺ lymphocytes. So it was suspected to be B cell lymphema.
We considered that the fall of the immunocompetent cells in regional lymph nodes of head and neck cancer patients with metastasis was caused by the decrease in the T 4⁺ lymphocytes.