Antigen-specific Plaques Formation of Cultured Mononuclear Cells in Head and Neck Cancer

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Antigen-specific antibody production in vitro from peripheral blood mononuclear cells was studied for the assessment of the immune competence of patients with head and neck cancer. Optimal culture conditions were studied using inactivated Staphylococcus aureus and a saturation with IL-1 during B cell activation and pooled human AB serum on day 2. After passage of the mononuclear cells through sephadex G-10 columns, a significant increase in the antigen-specific antibody production was observed. In healthy donors a significant reduction of the antigen-specific antibody production according to the abuse of alcohol and/or cigarette smoking was detectable. Interestingly, high alcohol consumption resulted in a more pronounced decrease of the antigen-specific antibody production in vitro than excessive cigarette smoking. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who are considered to be most immunodeficient did not show any antigen-specific antibody production in vitro upon activation with sheep red blood cells in the presence of Interleukin-1 (IL-1). After filtration of mononuclear cells from peripheral bloodover sephadex G-10 beads, two thirds of the patients studied became stimulable. This increase in the antigen-specific antibody production in vitro was significant, though not as dramatic as in the age- and sex-matched control groups. Interestingly, the antigen-specific antibody production raised almost to the same level as that measured in healthy donors with high alcohol abuse and cigarette consumption.