effect of syngeneic and allogeneic plasma on lymphocytes from cancer patients, patients with non-neoplastic diseases, and normal subjects

The lymphocytes of cancer patients have an impaired ability to respond to PHA in vitro as compared to that of controls. Lymphocytes from 62 cancer patients and from matched non-cancer patients and healthy controls were cultured in syngeneic plasma and in the plasma of their matched pairs. Also, lymphocytes from 20 non-cancer patients and 20 healthy individuals were cultured in their own plasma as well as in plasma of the matched pairs. All donor lymphocytes, especially those of the healthy group, showed a poorer response to PHA when grown in allogeneic plasma. It appears that the inhibition of allogeneic lymphocyte response to PHA by plasma of cancer patients is a non-specific effect. The impaired in vitro responsiveness of patient lymphocytes appears to be an intrinsic cellular abnormality.