Nonspecific Immunological Reactivity of Hypopharyngeal Cancer Patients

We studied the following nonspecific cellular and humoral immunological factors in 21 fresh cases of hypopharyngeal cancer (Stage II-IV) to evaluate the nonspecific immunological reactivity of hypopharyngeal cancer patients. In cellular factors, cell numbers of blood lymphocyte, stimulation index (S. I.) of PHA-induced lymphocyte transformation, and percentage of IgG-FcR+Tlymphocyte were examined. In humoral factors, serum IgG and β1C (C3) were tested. These studies were performed before treatment, after preoperative irradiation, and after surgery. And we could obtain following results.1) Nonspecific cellular immunological reactivity of hypopharyngeal cancer patients was depressed.2) Nonspecific cellular immunological reactivity of hypopharyngeal cancer patients was further depressed after the preoperative irradiation (3000 or 4500rad).3) However, there was no apparent difference in the degree of depression of nonspecific cellular immunological reactivity between 3000rad group and 4500rad group of preoperative irradiation.4) Nonspecific cellular immunological reactivity of hypopharyngeal cancer patients was not depressed after surgery (extirpation with reconstruction).5) Postoperative irradiation will be able to be more useful than preoperative irradiation both on nonspecific immunological basis and on the results of randamized studies in literatures.6) The levels of serum IgG was high, and serum β1C (C3) were low in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. Serum levels of both factors did not change after irradiation, but elevated a little after surgery.