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“High‐affinity” t‐cell rosettes: The effects of clinical manipulations and potential prognostic significance
Author(s) -
Weese James L.,
West William H.,
Herberman Ronald B.,
Payne Susan M.,
Siwarski Joyce W.,
Turcotte Jeremiah G.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.2930130210
Subject(s) - medicine , stage (stratigraphy) , breast cancer , clinical significance , chemotherapy , cancer , gastroenterology , lung cancer , surgery , biology , paleontology
Incubation of blood mononuclear cells with sheep erythrocytes at 29°C identifies “high‐affinity” rosette‐forming T‐cells (RFC). The proportion of highaffinity RFC was more frequently depressed in patients with cancer than the total number of RFC identified under optimal rosetting conditions. Our purpose was to determine the effect of chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy on the level of RFC and to determine whether trends in serial values had prognostic significance. Two hundred thirty‐seven of 270 normal individuals tested had 29°C RFC levels greater than or equal to 47%, while 21 of 41 untreated cancer patients had higher levels. Cancer patients with depressed 29°C RFC usually normalized within four weeks of operation. Serial studies of 29°C RFC were performed on 32 stage I and II lung cancer patients. Eight patients have developed recurrent tumor. We noted a pattern of falling rosette values (two or more consecutive values within normal limits followed by two consecutive depressed values) in five of these patients an average of five months before clinical relapse. Fifteen patients who have remained disease free either maintained normal levels of rosettes or increased into the normal range. Four of 13 (31%) stage I and four of nine (44%) stage II breast cancer patients had depressed rosette levels preoperatively. In seven stage II patients with no further therapy after mastectomy, only two of 27 serial tests showed low RFC. Twenty‐six stage II patients receiving L‐phenylalanine mustard (L‐PAM) therapy after mastectomy were depressed in 18 of 90 (20%) serial tests. Twenty‐one patients receiving cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5‐fluorouracil (CMF) after mastectomy were depressed in 25 of 73 (34%) serial tests. In contrast, seven patients treated with CMF and additionally with Corynebacterium parvum after mastectomy were depressed in eight of 27, or 29%, of serial tests. The 29°C E‐rosette assay gives reproducible counts of a T‐cell subset. Serial monitoring of patients with “high‐affinity” rosette‐forming cells may predict relapse earlier than clinical evaluation. This T‐cell population, depressed by chemotherapy, may be restored by immunopotentiators.