Effects of biological response modifier on thoracic duct lymphocytes in recurrent gastric cancer. Evaluation of OK-432, a hemolytic streptococcus preparation.

In 9 patients with recurrent gastric carcinoma treated with intracutaneous injections of a hemolytic streptococcal preparation of OK-432 (PIC), the T/B cell ratio, the number of IgG-Fc receptor positive (T gamma) cells, the degree of blastoid transformation of lymphocytes in response to concanavalin-A (Con-A) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and the activity of natural killer cells (NK) in the thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were measured. In thoracic duct lymph, the T cell to B cell ratio was higher than that found in peripheral blood. The proportion of T gamma cells and the natural killer cell activity was found to be considerably lower in TDL than PBL, though there was a higher degree of blastoid transformation of lymphocytes in response to Con-A and PHA in TDL. After the administration of PIC, there was no significant difference in T/B cell ratios and T gamma cell proportion between TDL and PBL, though the lymphocytic blastoid transformation in response to Con-A and PHA decreased in TDL but not in PBL. PIC administration appeared to augument natural killer cell activity in both TDL and PBL.