Beta Endorphin Enhances in Vitro Lymphokine Production in Patients with Squamous Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Recent studies of the effects of endorphins and other neuropeptides on immune mechanisms suggest that immune reactive cells have specific opioid-like and nonopioid endorphin receptors, and indicate that neuropeptides may participate in regulating in vivo immune functions. Earlier demonstrations of impaired cellular immunity and impaired lymphokine production in patients with cancer of the head and neck prompted an investigation of the in vitro effects of beta-endorphin on the production of leukocyte migration inhibitory factor (LIF) in 29 patients with head and neck cancer and in 45 normal subjects. LIF production in response to phytohemagglutinin was significantly less in the cancer patients compared to normal subjects (p less than .001). beta-endorphin significantly enhanced LIF production in the cancer patients (p = .01) to levels that did not differ significantly from normal levels. A correlation of levels of lymphocyte subpopulations in the cancer patients suggested that enhancement of lymphokine production by beta-endorphin was related to levels of T8 (suppressor/cytotoxic) cells. The results confirm earlier demonstrations of impaired lymphokine production in patients with head and neck cancer and indicate that beta-endorphin can modulate in vitro lymphokine responses in such patients. These findings suggest that neuroendocrine peptides may play an important role in regulating immune function. Further study of the role of neuropeptides in the immune response should provide additional insight into the characterization of cellular immune dysfunction associated with head and neck cancer and should lead to the development of innovative immunotherapeutic treatment strategies.