Abstract

In 109 normal dornors and patients with cancer(stomach cancer; 60, hepatoma; 23, lung cancer: 13), natural killer(NK) cell activitiea were asaessed. Furthermore, a-and r-interfe- ron(IFN) was compared on their augmentation of NK cell activity and direct cytcstatic action. The findings in this study were as follows; 1) NK cell activities in patients with cancer were decreased when compared to the mean of normal donors. And the decreaaed NK cell activities were augmented to the normal level by IFN-treatment. 2) The patients with metastatic tumors exhibited a greater deficit than the patients wit#h local cancer in NK cell activity, but their NK cell activation with IFN was similar. 3) NK cell activities against stomach cancer cell line and hepatoma cell line were also .significantly enhanced by IFN-treatment. It was indicated that NK cell activation with IFN in patienta with cancer may show a favorable therapeutic effectiveness. 4) In NK cell activation, a-and r-IFN had comparable effect. 5) In direct cytostatic action, F-IFN was more effective than a-IFN, and r-IFN was suggested to be more active against tumor in clinical use. 6) The proportions of LGL(NK cell) in peripheral blood were not correlatcd with the NK cell activities determined by "Cr-release assay