Immunoregulatory properties and LP-pattern of human ovarian carcinoma ascites and pleural effusions of nonmalignant origin.

The immunoregulatory activity of ascitic fluids obtained from patients with ovarian carcinoma, and pleural effusions collected from patients with various nonmalignant diseases, was tested. The following assays were performed: in vivo, PFC-response of mouse splenocytes to SRBC; in vitro, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and phagocytic activity of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMoC). The migration ability of mouse splenocytes in the presence of ascitic fluids was also evaluated. Parallelly, lipid (triglyceride and cholesterol) and lipoprotein (high-density/HDL/, low-density/LDL/, and very-low-density/VLDL/) content in ascites and pleural effusions, were determined. Both types of fluids suppressed the PFC-response and inhibited phagocytosis of 51Cr-labeled sheep erythrocytes by PBMoC, but augmented ADCC of PBMoC against sheep erythrocytes. An elevation of VLDL and a decrease of HDL and LDL in ascitic fluids and pleural effusions, as compared to normal human sera, were found. There were similar changes in the cholesterol content of these lipoprotein fractions, i.e., an increase of VLDL- and a decrease of HDL- and LDL-cholesterol.