Abstract
The role played by immune activity in survival was mainly investigated in 34 patients with stage IV primary lung cancer, and the following results were obtained respectively: 1. Survival suration was dignificantly longer in the patients with positive skin reaction than in those with negative. Peripheral lymphocyte counts and the duration of survival were significantly correlated in P. P. D positive patients, but not in P. P. D negative patients. 2. The CH50 titer was significantly higher in P. P. D positive patients. The CH50 titer and the duration of survival were significantly correlated in all the patients, especially in P. P. D negative patients. A significant correlation in P. P. D positive patients was not apparent. 3. IgG and IgA levels were significantly higher in all the patients as compared to controls, but no significance was seen in the level of IgM. No correlation was observed between the immuno globulin levels and the duration of survival in any of the patients. These results suggest that the complementary system may be activated from the time of decrease in cell mediated immunity and that the complementary system may play the most important role in patients with stage IV primary lung cancer when cell mediated immunity has almost vanished.
