Tumor-draining lymph nodes of primary lung cancer patients: a potent source of tumor-specific killer cells and dendritic cells.

BACKGROUND: The tumor-draining lymph node tissue (TDLT) of lung cancer patients generated killer cells specific to autologous tumor cells when cultured with low dose IL-2. This production of killer cells lasted as long as 2 months after the initiation of the culture (productive phase). Even after this productive phase, TDLT supported the generation of the killer cells when these were co-cultured with peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from the same patients. We tried to analyze the mechanisms of this production of killer cells from TDLT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TDLT, tumor tissues as well as PBL were obtained from primary lung cancer patients and cultured in vitro. Cell growth, cell surface markers and specific cytotoxic activity of the lymphocytes were examined. RESULTS: The majority of the cells from TDLT or TDLT+ PBL co-culture (TDL-Pb) were CD3-positive T cells (89-99%) and a 51Cr-releasing assay showed that these cells had a stronger cytotoxic activity against autologous tumor cells than cells from PBL cultured with IL-2. Their activity against allogeneic MHC incompatible target cells was not, however, elevated. Cytotoxic activity against autologous tumor cells was blocked by anti-HLA class 1 (52.0%), class 11 (47.9%) and CD8 (46.8%) antibodies, but not by anti-CD56 antibody. The treatment of TDLT with anti-CD8, CD4, CD80 and CD83 all together completely abrogated the ability of TDLT to generate killer cells, with one of these antibodies it did so partially, while treatment with anti-CD56 antibody failed to do so at all. CONCLUSION: These results collectively suggest that TDLT contains tumor antigen-pulsed DCs as well as precursors of specific killer T cells and gives rise to the generation of killer cells when cultured in a low dose of IL-2.

[Pulmonary metastasectomy for osteosarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas].

To evaluate the efficacy of aggressive pulmonary metastasectomy for treating osteosarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas, we reviewed 105 cases treated in our hospital between 1990 and 2002. There were 57 males and 48 females, 44 osteosarcomas (OS), 21 synovial sarcomas (Syno), 16 malignant fibrous histiocytomas (MFH), 4 leiomyosarcomas (Leio), 4 alveolar soft part sarcomas (ASPS) and 16 others (including chondrosarcoma and liposarcoma). A total of 904 metastases were resected (8.6(0-49)/patients) and 244 thoracotomies (2.3/patients) were performed. Mean number of initial metastasectomies was 3.7 (0-26), disease-free interval (DFI) was 13. 8 months (0-96), and mean diameter of maximum resected metastases for one patient was 20.4 (5-90) mm. Five-and 10-year survival rates of all cases were 44.9% and 32.0% respectively. Those of OS were 45.8% and 38.5%, and those of soft tissue sarcomas were 44.2% and 25.5%, respectively. The highest 5-and 10-year survival rates among soft tissue sarcomas was attained in ASPS and Leio (75%), and others (51.6% and 38.7%), followed by Syno (42.9% and 12.4%). Long-term survival was not attained in MFH (30.9%: 5 years). Analysis of histological types of the tumors and numbers of resected pulmonary metastases showed that the largest number of metastases were resected in ASPS (16/case) and Syno (13.8/case), followed by OS (9.0/case). MFH had the largest (27.1 mm) mean diameter of maximum resected metastases, followed by Leio (27.0 mm). Analysis of prognostic factors indicated that curativity was the most important prognostic factor: curative cases 42.2% (10-year survival) vs noncurative cases 4.2% (6-year survival). Number of resected metastases and mean diameter of maximum tumor size also affected the patient survival.