Neurologia medico-chirurgica
Online ISSN : 1349-8029
Print ISSN : 0470-8105
ISSN-L : 0470-8105
Immunological Investigation of Brain Tumor Patients
TAKASHI SHIMIZUKEN-ICHI KITONAOMI YAMAZAKIOSAMI KUBOKOICHI KITAMURA
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1976 Volume 16pt2 Issue 4 Pages 337-347

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Abstract

Patients with malignant tumor have immunological reaction to the tumor cells, but the reaction is suppresed with the growth of the tumor. For the clinical application of immunotherapy, the immunologic study of brain tumor patients is important. In this study we described the cell-mediated immunity and humoral immunity of brain tumor patients with special references to the pathological nature and clinical status. As for humoral immunity we detected tumor specific antibody against tumor cells by immunoadherence hemagglutination (IA) test (in 91 cases)and conducted quantitative analysis of IgG, IgM, IgA and, β1c/1A globulin by the immunodiffusion technique (in 35 cases) in patients' sera. Correlation between tumor specific antibody and IgM was studied by using the IA test. As for cell-mediated immunity we studied peripheral lymphocyte counts (in 140 cases) and tuberculin reaction (in 56 cases) before operation. Biopsied samples (in 208 cases) were examined for detection of infiltration crisis of lymphoid cells under the microscope. We also investigated lymphocytotoxic ability against tumor cells and the blocking effect of the patient's serum was detected by using the mixed lymphocytes-tumor culture method.
The results are shown as follows :
1. High titer of the tumor specific antibody was always detected in serum of patients with glioma or sarcoma. This result suggested that the tumor specific antigen presented on the tumor cell membrane.
2. Essential components of the tumor specific antibody against brain tumor cells were detected in IgM fraction.
3. In malignant glioma and metastatic tumor, 40-60% of the patients showed lower than normal level of IgA and β1c/1A globulin. And 40-60% of the patients of benign glioma showed lower than normal level of IgM, IgA and β1c/1A globulin, whereas 50-75% of the patients of meningioma showed higher than normal level of IgG and IgA.
4. High percentage of malignant brain tumor patients showed lymphopenia (less than 1800/mm3), and negative tuberculin reaction which indicated depletion of cell-mediated immunity in these patients. The peripheral lymphocyte counts and tuberculin reaction was helpful to diagnose malignant tumor or benign tumor before operation, and also to evaluate prognosis of brain tumor patients.
5. Lymphoid cell infiltration in the tumor was found in 95% of metastatic tumors, 58% of meningiomas and 37% of gliomas.
6. Lymphocytes from glioma patients showed remarkable cytotoxic effect against glioma cells in mixed culture. Serum from the patients showed cytotoxic effect against tumor cells, although the effect was very poor compared with that of lymphocytes. The serum did not inhibit the cytotoxic effect of lymphocytes.
7. Mechanism of cyst formation of a glioma was discussed from a view point of immune reaction.

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© The Japan Neurosurgical Society
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