Aims and background: Proliferative response of lymphocytes to mitogens is known to be decreased in cancer patients. Depressed proliferation of lymphocytes in other disorders has been linked to systemic inflammatory response.
Methods: Lymphocyte proliferation in response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A, as well as urinary neopterin, plasma interferon-gamma and interleukin-4, were investigated in 41 patients with solid tumors.
Results: The proliferative response to PHA was significantly depressed in cancer patients at most of the concentrations examined. Urinary neopterin and plasma interferon-gamma were significantly elevated in cancer patients, whereas interleukin-4 was undetectable in all the subjects. A negative correlation was observed between urine neopterin and lymphocyte proliferative response to mitogens.
Conclusions: Lymphocyte proliferative response to PHA is significantly diminished in cancer patients, and this depression appears to be partly linked to systemic inflammatory response. Plasma interferon-gamma was significantly increased in cancer patients, whereas interleukin-4 was undetectable.