IMPAIRED GENERAL CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNE FUNCTIONS INVIVO AND INVITRO IN PATIENTS WITH NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA

General cell-mediated immune (CMI) functions in NPC [Nasopharyngeal carcinoma] patients were investigated by the in vivo Mantoux [delayed hypersensitivity] and in vitro lymphocyte response to PHA [phytohemagglutinin] assays. Thirty-eight (50%) of 76 untreated NPC patients were hyporesponsive in the Mantoux assay compared to 27 (25%) of 110 control patients. Forty-three (65.2%) of 66 untreated NPC patients also showed lymphocyte hyporesponsiveness to PHA compared to 15 (15.5%) of 97 control patients. Combined deficiencies were observed in 35 (42.2%) of 83 NPC patients compared to only 2 (3.3%) of 61 control patients. No difference in the frequency of immunodeficiency was observed between early and late disease patients. CMI functions of treated remission NPC patients were impaired to the same extent as those of untreated NPC patients.