Cellular Immune Competence of Patients with Lung Cancer and Other Lung Diseases. I. Analysis of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets using monoclonal antibodies

Lymphocyte subsets and lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogens were examined for patients with lung disease and healthy people. The results are as follows:
1) Lymphocytes derived from healthy persons showed an age dependent increase in the percentage of Leu-7+ cells and a decrease in reactivity to phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The percentage of Leu-1+ and Leu-3a+ cells was higher in females than in males under 30 years of age, while the percentage of Leu-7+ cells was higher in males at all ages.
2) Untreated lung cancer patients showed decreases in the percentage of Leu-1+ cells and reactivity to PHA and concanavalin A (Con A), and an increase in the percentage of Leu-11a+ cells.
3) No difference in lymphocyte subsets nor in reactivity to mitogens was observed between patients of different clinical stages. However, when the lymphocyte subsets were compared between patients at each stage and the healthy group, decreased percentages of Leu-1+ and Leu-3a+ in patients with stage IV cancer and Leu-2a+ in those with stage I were observed, while the percentage of Leu-11a+ cells was high in stage I and III patients.
4) No difference in lymphocyte subsets in relation to histological type was observed.
5) Among noncancerous respiratory disease patients, there was a reduced percentage of Leu-1+ cells in sarcoidosis and pulmonary emphysema, and reduced percentages of Leu-1+ and Leu-3a+ cells in pulmonary fibrosis and diffuse panbronchiolitis.