IMMUNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN GASTRIC CANCER PATIENTS TREATED WITH IMMUNOTHERAPY OF STREPTOCOCCAL PREPARATION OK-432

In 41 patients with inoperable gastric cancers undergoing immunotherapy with the streptococcal preparation OK-432 in combination with FT207, the peripheral blood lymphocyte count and its T-cell ratio, delayed hypersensitivity skin tests with purified protein derivative, phytohemagglutinin and polysac-charide extracted from Su strain of Streptococcus pyogenes and serum titer of agglutinin to Strep. pyogenes were followed sequentially and the data were statistically analyzed for correlations of these tests with the rate and duration of survival in order to re-evaluate these immunological parameters commonly used at present in anticancer immunotherapy. In respect of all parameters except the T-cell ratio of peripheral blood lymphocytes and phytohemagglutinin skin test assessed at 2 months of treatment, patients showing normal values or positive tests had a significantly greater survival rate a compared with those showing abnormal values or negative tests. Particularly, the Su-PS skin test and serum titer of agglutinin to Strep. pyogenes showed remarkably close correlations (P < 0.001) with the survival rate and duration of the tumor-bearing patients.