Tumor cytotoxicity of peritoneal macrophages and peripheral blood monocytes from patients with ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer.

The purpose of this study was to compare the cytotoxic capacity of peritoneal macrophages (PM) and peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) from patients with ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers after in vitro activation with gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Peritoneal macrophages were obtained from ascites or peritoneal washings and peripheral blood monocytes via peripheral venipuncture from 58 patients: 17 with ovarian, 19 with endometrial, and 10 with cervical cancers. PBM and PM from 12 patients with nonmalignant gynecologic conditions served as controls. Cytotoxicity was assessed by the ability of PBM and PM to lyze Cr51-labeled Chang hepatoma cells. Activated peripheral blood monocytes of ovarian and endometrial cancer patients and peritoneal macrophages from ovarian cancer patients were significantly more cytotoxic than those from nonactivated controls. Activated PBM and PM from cervical cancer and PM from endometrial cancer did not demonstrate increased cytotoxicity compared to nonactivated controls. There was no significant correlation of the cytotoxicity with grade, stage, differentiation or age of the cancers. These in vitro data would suggest that ovarian cancer and possibly endometrial cancer should receive further evaluation and consideration of cytokine-based and/or adoptive cellular immunotherapy.