Effect of BCG cell-wall skeleton immunotherapy on the peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with lung cancer after radiotherapy
Nishikawa, H.; Yasaki, S.; Yoshimoto, T.; Sakatani, M.; Itoh, M.; Masuno, T.; Namba, M.; Ogura, T.; Hirao, F.; Azuma, I.; Yamamura, Y.
Gan 69(6): 819-824
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0016-450X PMID: 750274 Document Number: 132445
The effect of radiotherapy on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of lung cancer and the effect of BCG cell-wall skeleton (BCG-CWS) on recovery of impaired PBL were examined. A remarkable depression of the absolute number of E- or EAC-rosette cells and of the response of PBL to mitogens were observed immediately after radiotherapy, and these continued for several months. With BCG-CWS immunotherapy, the response of PBL to phytohemagglutinin recovered rapidly, compared with non-vaccinated patients. The response of PBL to pokeweed mitogen seemed to give similar results. These results suggested that BCG-CWS injection to the patient receiving radiotherapy was effective for recovery of T-cell response.