Immunological study in long-term survivals of glioblastoma (author's transl)]

Adequate follow-ups were obtained in 173 of 179 cases (96.6%) of histologically verified glioblastoma patients experienced at Tohoku University Hospital during the 30 years from 1947 to 1977 Excluding 10 pre and the 27 postoperative deaths within one month, the survival rates of the remaining 136 postoperative cases after one, 3 and 5 years were 55%, 24% and 12% respectively. Of the 14 cases who survived more than 5 years, 6 cases (4/6 males, 12 52 years old) are still alive and were the subject of this immunological study. The results of the study revealed that; 1) cytotoxicity of lymphocytes against KS-1 cells (established cell line derived from human glioblastoma) was augmented both preoperatively and within one month postoperatively in glioblastoma cases without radiation and chemotherapy. In long-term survivals of glioblastoma, cytotoxicity of lymphocytes was depressed significantly (p<0.01) to the level of healthy persons. In cytotoxicity-augumented glioblastoma cases, the administration of the anti-cancer drug made the cytotoxicity of lymphocytes depressed; 2) value of T-cells and count of peripheral lymphocytes were not significantly different among the preoperative patients, postoperative cases and the long-term survivals of glioblastoma; other preoperative brain tumor cases; and healthy persons; 3) tuberculin reaction was negative in 2 and positive in 4 of 6 longterm survivals; and 4) titer of serum immunoglobulin in long-term survivals were within the normal range. Judging from the above results, we concluded that immunity in long-term survivals is similar to healthy individuals.