Immunological functions of adult T cell leukemia cells of a patient complicated with synchronous double primary gynecologic cancer

J Med Invest. 1997 Aug;44(1-2):99-102.

Abstract

A patient with triple malignancies is reported, who presented cervical cancer, vulvar cancer and adult T cell leukemia (ATL). ATL was diagnosed as a smouldering type, because antibody to human T cell leukemia virus associated antigen (ATLA) was positive with a titer of 1:160. Although her malignant cells had an OKT 4+8-3+Tac+ phenotype, the cells did not display helper T cell functions. Namely they showed no response to Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and Interleukin 2 (IL-2) and suppressed the PWM driven IgG synthesis of B cells obtained from healthy donor. They did not produce IL-2 by stimulation with PHA and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Furthermore, these ATL cells were producing IL-2 inhibitor like factors. As synchronous triple malignancies are extremely rare, two gynecologic cancers seem to ascribe to the suppressing state of the immunosurveillance mechanism by viral infection.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / immunology*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Leukemia, T-Cell / immunology*
  • Leukemia, T-Cell / pathology
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary*
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / pathology
  • Vulvar Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Vulvar Neoplasms / pathology