Open AccessImmunology of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes
Author(s) -
E. Carmack Holmes
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
annals of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.153
H-Index - 309
eISSN - 1528-1140
pISSN - 0003-4932
DOI - 10.1097/00000658-198502000-00004
Subject(s) - cytotoxic t cell , immunology , medicine , tumor microenvironment , tumor infiltrating lymphocytes , lymphokine activated killer cell , suppressor , tumor cells , cell , immune system , interleukin 21 , t cell , cancer research , immunotherapy , biology , cancer , in vitro , biochemistry , genetics
Frequently peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) do not reflect the tumor host relationship and cell mediated immunity in the PBL does not often correlate with prognosis. The tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) interact most closely with the tumor cells and are likely to more accurately reflect tumor host interactions. These studies indicate that TIL from pulmonary tumors are similar to PBL so far as their cell surface markers are concerned. The percentage of T-cells, B-cells, helper cells, suppressor cells, and NK cells are similar in the two compartments. However, the TIL are markedly suppressed in their functional capacity as measured by their proliferative and cytotoxic activity. In addition, natural killer (NK) cell activity is markedly diminished in TIL as opposed to the PBL. In addition, the direct injection of BCG into these tumors reverses this phenomenon by significantly increasing T-cell and NK cell functional activity. Thus, the microenvironment of the tumor profoundly affects the immunologic relationship between the tumor and the host.