Immunological modulation of lymphocyte subpopulation in cervical cancer tissue by sizofiran and OK-432.

The intimate correlation between marked lymphocyte infiltration in the cancer tissue and the superior clinical prognosis has been reported in human cancers. Sizofiran (SPG), a polysaccharide consisting of beta-1,3-D-glucopyranosyl linkage with beta-1,6-D-glucopyranosyl branches, or OK-432, a heat- and penicillin-treated, lyophilized preparation of the Su strain of Streptococcus pyogenes of human origin, was administered intratumorally to nine patients with advanced uterine cervical carcinoma before radical hysterectomy to assess their immunological modulating properties to tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte subpopulations immunohistochemically. The degree of infiltration of CD3- and CD5-positive cells increased moderately or markedly in the stroma surrounding the lesion in both SPG group and OK-432 group, as well as that of CD4- and CD8-positive cells, from that before administration. The density of infiltration of CD3-positive, CD4-positive, and CD8-positive cells in the lesion increased slightly or moderately in both groups after administration. As for CD16-positive cell infiltration, both SPG and OK-432 increased its degree in the stroma lining the lesion while SPG alone augmented its degree in the lesion. This augmentation of lymphocyte infiltration in situ induced by intratumoral administration of SPG and OK-432 is expected to lead to a favorable prognosis of patients with cervical cancer.