EFFECT OF INDOMETHACIN ON BLASTOGENESIS OF LYMPHOCYTES FROM CANCER-PATIENTS - DIFFERENTIATION OF PATIENT TYPES

The presence of an indomethacin-sensitive suppressor-cell population was investigated in 24 patients with cancer and 28 healthy controls. The suppressor-cell population was measured by determining the effect of the indomethacin on the in vitro response of the patients' or healthy controls' lymphocytes to phytohemagglutin in (PHA). Significant abnormalities were present in 8 of the 24 patients studied. Two patients had decreased response to PHA only, 2 had increased indomethacin-sensitive suppressor-cell populations only, and 4 had both abnormalities. The presence or absence of decreased PHA response, and/or indomethacin-sensitive suppressor-cell population did not always correlate with the immunocompetence or disease status of the patients. Indomethacin is useful in differentiating two types of mechanisms responsible for decreased in vitro lymphocyte blastogenesis. © 1979.