Function of Monocytes in the Retired Workers of the Okunojima Poison Gas Factory

Monocyte function of poison gas workers was determined and the following results were obtained. 1) No difference in cytostatic activity could be observed between poison gas workers and their controls. 2) Phagocytic activity of poison gas workers was slightly depressed when compared with that of the controls, but the difference was not significant. By duration of work, it was observed that the group with duration of work exceeding five years had a significantly lower value when compared with the group with duration of work being less than two years. 3) Chemotactic activity of poison gas workers tended to be depressed when compared with that of the controls. The activity tended to be more depressed the longer the duration of work. 4) A significant positive correlation was observed between cytostatic activity and phagocytic activity

Production of Interleukin 2 in Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes: Optimal Condition for its Culture

For the assay of the production of Interleukin 2 (IL-2) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (human PBL), a study was made on the optimal condition for its culture. 1) The optimal condition for the production of IL-2 was considered to be incubation time of 24 hr, number of PBL of 1 x 106 cells/ml, and phytohemagglutinin-M (PHA-M) concentration of 1 — 5% 2) By one way mixed lymphocyte reaction (one way MLR), IL-2 activity similar in level to that by PHA-M stimulation could also be obtained. It was maximal at the 4th day of culture. 3) By PHA-P (0.06%) stimulation, IL-2 could also be produced similar to that by PHAM stimulation but it decreased in the order of Con A, PWM and PPD and hardly any production of IL-2 could be observed by LPS

Interleukin-2 Production and Lymphocyte Proliferation in Aged and Young Humans

A study was made on the effect of aging on the production of Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and lymphocyte proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. 1) In comparison with young individuals, IL-2 production tended to decrease in aged individuals, while lymphocyte proliferation showed a significant decrease. 2) A significant correlation was observed between IL-2 production and lymphocyte proliferation in both the aged and young human populations. 3) IL-2 production showed a negative correlation with Leu-2a positive rate and a positive correlation with Leu-3a/Leu-2a ratio in aged individuals

Immune Functions of Former Poison Gas Workers I. Mitogenic response of lymphocytes and serum factors

The relation of depressed immune function to carcinogenesis has been estimated in the living body. The authors have measured the immunological parameters in former poison gas workers, a group having a high risk of carcinogenesis, for comparison with age matched normal controls and the following results were obtained. 1) With regard to serum factors, no significant difference could be demonstrated between normal controls and poison gas workers in such immunoglobulins as IgG, IgA, and IgM, in acute phase reactants such as α1-AT, α1-AG, α2-HS and C3 and in such tumor markers as CEA, ferritin, and β2-microglobulin. Furthermore, no difference could be observed in the positive rate of immune complex and in complement activity. 2) No difference could be observed between the two groups with regard to tuberculin skin reaction and number of lymphocytes, but the longer the duration of work at the poison gas factory, the more significant was the increase in those who showed negative tuberculin skin reaction. 3) In comparison with normal controls, mitogenic response to PHA showed a significant decrease in poison gas workers, but no significant difference could be seen in mitogenic response to Con A and PPD and in mixed lymphocyte reaction. 4) No significant difference could be demonstrated between the two groups in the inhibitory effects of serum on mitogenic response to PHA and Con A and on mixed lymphocyte reaction

Detection of Lymphocyte Subsets by Monoclonal Antibodies in Aged and Young Humans

With the use of Leu-series monoclonal antibodies, peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in aged and young humans were determined. 1) In comparison with young individuals, Leu-1+ cells and Leu-2a+ cells were decreased, whereas Leu-7+ cells and Leu-3a/Leu-2a were increased in aged individuals. 2) No sex difference could be observed in lymphocyte subsets. 3) PHA response of lymphocytes showed a negative correlation with Leu-2a+ cells and a positive correlation with Leu-3a/Leu-2a in aged individuals

PSK 投与によるヒトの各種免疫学的パラメーターの変動

PSK was administered to the retired workers of the Poison Gas factory who showed high incidence of malignancy and immunological abnormalities. Furthermore, changes of various immunological parameters were studied. In the group in which Leu 1 positive rate showed a low value, Leu 1 positive rate showed significant increase after PSK administration. NK cell activity as well as Leu 7 positive rate showed significant elevation after PSK administration. It seems that PSK potentiates the immunity of non-tumor bearing individuals with depressed immunity

旧大久野島毒ガス傷害者への BCG-CWS, Nocardia-CWS の投与による免疫パラメーターの変動

An immunopotentiator, BCG or Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton, was injected to the retired workers of the Okunojima poison gas factory in order to study prophylactic approaches to the cancer and the various immunological parameters were followed. 1) γ-globulin and IgG whose pre-treatment levels were abnormally high tended to approach the normal levels. 2) α1-AT tended to increase and α1-AG tended to decrease in Group C. α2-HS tended to decrease in Group A, and C3 tended to increase in Group A. 3) Tuberculin reaction kept positive in 77.9% of the subjects studied, and it did negative in 5.2%, while 13.0% of them had a positive conversion, and 3.9% showed a negative conversion. 4) The response of lymphocytes to PHA tended to increase in all three groups, but that to PWM did not show any significant changes. 5) NK cell activity and ADCC activity showed a transient increase 2 weeks after CWS injection, and their activities returned to preinjection levels after 3 months

Immune Functions of Former Poison Gas Workers Il. Lymphocyte subsets and interleukin 2 production

A depression has been observed in phytohemagglutinin (PHA) response of lymphocytes, one of the functions of T cells, in former workers of the Okunojima poison gas factory (Poison gas workers) having a high risk of carcinogenesis. The authors in an attempt to delineate the mechanism of this depression measured lymphocyte subsets and interleukin 2 (IL-2) production of lymphocytes in these poison gas workers and compared the results with those obtained from age matched normal controls. 1) In comparison with normal controls it was observed with regard to lymphocyte subsets that both percentage and absolute number of Leu-2a+ cells in poison gas workers were significantly elevated and that both percentage and absolute number of Leu-7+ cells and Leu-3a/Leu-2a ratio were significantly depressed. 2) In comparison with normal controls IL-2 production of lymphocytes in poison gas workers showed a slightly low level, but the difference was not significant. 3) A significant positive correlation was demonstrated between PHA response, IL-2 production, and Leu-3a/Leu-2a ratio in poison gas workers