[Local cellular immune response induced by ultrasound-guided tumor bed superantigen injection after percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy for liver cancer].

Objective: To investigate the local cellular immune response after injection of superantigen, the highly agglutinative staphylococin (HAS), into the tumor bed after ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) in the liver cancer patients.

Methods: Ninety-two patients with pathologically proven primary liver cancer were divided into two groups: 45 in group A were treated by PMCT alone and 47 in the group B by combined with ultrasound-guided percutaneous injection of highly agglutinative staphylococin (HAS). Before and after PMCT and HAS treatment, the patients underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy from the tumor bed and the samples were examined by pathology and immunohistochemistry. The infiltration of CD3+, CD4+, CD57+ and CD68+ lymphocytes in treatment zone was compared between the two groups. Moreover, the infiltrating immunocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy.

Results: One week after HAS injection, the densities of CD3+, CD4+, CD57+ and CD68+ cells in the group B were 54.50 +/- 18.44, 38.14 +/- 12.44, 33.38 +/- 10.79 and 45.56 +/- 16.53, respectively. All the above mentioned parameters increased significantly in varying degrees compared with that before PMCT or HAS injection (P < 0.05). Four weeks after HAS injection, the density of CD3+, CD4+, CD57+ and CD68+ cells in the group B were 32.67 +/- 10.42, 23.43 +/- 6.99, 18.63 +/- 7.89 and 30.01 +/- 11.05, respectively, still significantly higher than those before PMCT (P < 0.05). Five weeks after PMCT and HAS injection, the densities of CD3+, CD4+, CD57+ and CD68+ cells in the group B were 54.50 +/- 18.44, 38.14 +/- 12.44, 33.38 +/- 10.79 and 45.56 +/- 16.53, versus 32.03 +/- 8.11, 15.67 +/- 8.32, 15.23 +/- 8.26 and 29.67 +/- 11.98 in the group A, respectively, still with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). A lot of lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in the immune cells after injection of HAS were observed by transmission electron microscopy.

Conclusion: The local cellular immunity in liver cancer treatment area can be significantly improved by ultrasound-guided injection of highly agglutinative staphylococin after percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy.