Lymphocyte-T In Human Cancer .2. Effects Of Radiotherapy And Controlled Nutritional Intake

Summary  Fifty-one patients with malignant disease, who received a definitive course of radiotherapy, had their T-lymphocyte mitogen responsiveness assesed during this treatment. In addition, these patients were randomized into 2 groups, in one of which supplemented oral nutrition was given during treatment while in the second, control group, no specific dietary advice was given. Overall, the blastogenic respensiveness of lymphocytes to the mitogens ConA and PHA were reduced after radiation therapy varying in duration from between 2 to 3 weeks. The extent of depression of cell-mediated immunity did not appear to be influenced by the actual site which was irradiated. Dietary supplementation failed to alleviate the diminution in lymphocyte responsiveness to PHA observed following radiotherapy. It appeared however that ConA-sensitive lymphocytes retained more of their responsiveness after the course of treatment in diet-supplemented patients than they did in control patients.