Depression of the generation of cell-mediated cytotoxicity after surgery.

Effects of surgery on generation of cell-mediated cytotoxicity in mixed cell cultures were studied in patients with various carcinomas, and the results were compared to those in patients with benign lesion. Peripheral mononuclear cells were cultured with the B-lymphoblastoid cell Raji in a mixed culture and the induced cytotoxicity was measured by 51Cr release assay. In 15 patients with various carcinomas, the capacity of peripheral mononuclear cells to generate cytotoxic cells was significantly depressed 1, 3 and 6 days after surgery, as compared to findings before surgery. Preoperative levels were reverted to by the 8th postoperative day. In 8 patients with benign lesion, significant decreases in cytotoxic cell activity were observed 3 and 6 days after operation and, on the 8th postoperative day, there was a significant increase in the generated cytotoxicity, as compared to the preoperative activity. Thus, postoperative depression of the generation of cell-mediated cytotoxicity may affect the host-tumor relationship in patients with carcinoma.