Clinical Studies on The Changes of Peripheral Lymphocyte Count in Patients with Advanced Cancer Following Chemoimmunotherapy, with Special Reference to OK-432 (Picibanil)

Abstract

Studies were made on the changes of peripheral lymphocyte count and those of some immunoreactivities observed in 21 patients with advanced cancer following the chemoimmunotherapy including OK-432.
The res ults obtained were as follows:
1) Peripheral lymphocyte count incr eased in 15 of 21 cases (71.4%) following immunostimulants administration; i. e. in 6 of 11 cases (54.5%) treated with OK-432 only, and in 9of 10 cases (90%) treated with both OK-432 and PSK (Krestin) as immunostimulants.
That is to say, in the cases treated with OK-432 combined with PS K, peripheral lymphocyte count increased more frequently than in those treated with OK-432 alone.
These increment occurred 2 to 4 weeks after administration of t hese immunostimulants was begun.
Besides, in 2 of 4 cases examined, the proportion of T lymphocytes in peripheral lymphocytes was found to be increased.
2) In some cases, seral γ-globulinl evels increased following the therapy including immunostimulants. In one of the cases, all of IgA, G, M, E increased, and in another, only IgG increased.
3) The reactivity against skin tests using PPD or PHA was intensified in 4 of 6 cases (66.7%) and in 2 of 3 cases respectively, following the treatment with immunostimulants.
In a large majority of these cases, the augmented reactivity was accom panied by increased peripheral lymphocyte count.
4) In all of the ca ses which had shown positive reaction to PPD before the treatment, the increment of peripheral lymphocyte count was seen following immunostimulants administration. On the other hand, the latter was detected only in one half of the cases which had shown negative reaction.
5) F urther, the incidence of peripheral lymphocyte increase was compared among the patients groups, each treated with different administrative schedule respectively: The immunostimulant therapy antecedent to the combination of chemotherapy caused increment of peripheral lymphocyte count in all of 5 cases (100%), while chemotherapy followed by immunostimulants induced the increment in only 4 of 7 cases (57.1%). Simultaneous combination therapy caused it in 5 of 7 cases (71.4%).
6) Among the cases show ing reactive fever against OK-432, the increment of peripheral lymphocyte count was more frequent than among the cases without the fever.
7) Among 9 cases which had shown high level of carcinoembryonic antigen, only 3 showed lowering of its level following the chemoimmunotherapies, although in 8 of these cases (88.9%) peripheral lymphocyte counts were increased following the therapies, i. e. wide discrepancy was observed between these two parameters.