Abstract
Successful adoptive immunotherapy of oral cancers with lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells presumably depend on their cytolytic potential and accumulation in sites of tumor. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether infused LAK cells labeled with 99mTc-HNIPAO can move to and localize in tumor sites using gamma camera imaging and histopathological examination.
LAK cells (CD3·LAK) were generated in the culture of peripheral blood lymphocytes with solid phase immobilized anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody and recombinant interleukin-2, labeled with 99mTc-HMPAO, and then infused into cubital vein systemically of patients with upper jaw cancer (rT4N3M0), or directly into the tumor-feeding artery (superficial temporal artery) of patients with gingival cancer on the upper left jaw (T4N1140).
LAK cells infused systemically and were distributed in the lungs, liver, and spleen within 30 minutes after infusion. Accumulation of LAK cells to the lungs immediately increased after injection, then cleared gradually, where as those in the liver and spleen tended to increase steadily. Localization of LAK cells in sites of tumor and metastatic lymphnodes was not clearly shown.
Clear localization of LAK cells locally infused into the artery, was demonstrated in the area corresponding to the primary tumor, and this localization was seen within 24 hours.
Distributing pattern of LAK cells to organs in the whole body had nearly the same pattern as that in the case of local infusion into the artery.
Histopathological examinations indicated mononuclear infiltrations in fibrous connective tissues that arose due to prior radio-and chemotherapy, around tumors and intensive mononuclear infiltrations around degenerating minor salivary glands.
These results indicated that local infusion of LAK cells via major tumor-feeding arteries would be an effective way to obtain selective localization of LAK cells in the primary oral cancer.
Systemic intra-vcnous infusion of LAK cells would be useful in treating the metastatic lesions in lungs and/or liver.
