INVIVO AND INVITRO STUDIES ON NONSPECIFIC BLOCKING FACTORS OF HOST ORIGIN IN CANCER-PATIENTS - ROLE OF PLASMA EXCHANGE AS AN IMMUNOTHERAPEUTIC MODALITY

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • review article
    • Vol. 14  (1) , 105-130
Abstract
Experimental and clinical data are reviewed on elevated glycoprotein levels in tumor-bearing animals and patients at various stages of disease advancement. The authors report their findings in 232 patients with various solid tumors; these confirm and extend the reports in the literature. Some of these glycoproteins, rich in sialic acid, exhibit immunosuppressive properties in vitro. Tumors may protect themselves by triggering hepatic synthesis of sialoglycoproteins which coat the binding sites of both immunocompetent cells and tumor cells and thereby abrogate recognition and killing of the latter by the immune system. This concept of nonspecific blocking factors of host origin was already substantiated to some extent by observations on the consequences of plasma exchange in 24 patients with metastatic tumors; 8 of these patients exhibited an objective tumor regression. Such studies should be extended to postoperative patients. Circulating sialoglycoprotein assays could be one of the ways of monitoring tumor growth, including growth during the nonvisible phase.