Effect of cytotoxic antineoplastic chemotherapy on immunoregulatory leukocytes measured with monoclonal antibodies

Abstract

The influence of cytotoxic chemotherapy on immunoregulatory leukocyte subsets measured by monoclonal antibodies was evaluated in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 15 patients with nonlymphoreticular solid tumors. The results obtained were correlated to changes in sheep erythrocyte-receptor-bearing T cells, active T cells, and latex-ingesting cells; also, these leukocyte values were correlated with changes in phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced lymphoproliferative responses and indomethacin-sensitive suppressor cell function. The results obtained demonstrated the cytotoxic chemotherapy did not consistently influence percentages of T cells whether these were measured as sheep erythrocyte-binding cells or as OKT.3+ cells. Similarly, consistent effects on OKT4 and OKT8 cells were not observed. Chemotherapy often led to suppression of the OKT4/OKT8 ratio and tended to restore abnormal percentages of active T cells at some point following initiation of drug treatment. The effects of chemotherapy on these leukocyte values could not be consistently correlated with changes in PHA-induced lymphocyte DNA synthesis or indomethacin-sensitive regulation of PHA reactivity.