Neutrophil and eosinophil interaction with gastric tumor cells

Fiftcc.n e'arly grsrric cancers - surgically resectcd from patients, wtìo had nor undergonc preoperative irradiarion and immunoclrcrnorhcrlpy - wcre selecred for their riny size (nine small and six.minure cancers) and for rhe absence of coagulaìive necrosis, in order ro evaluare morphologically rhe preócious host tisóue rcsponsc. At the electron microscopc, neuirophils and/or eosinophils could be seen esrablishing widc arcas bf inrimatc conracr with rhs carcirroma cells. In rhóse arcas, neurrophils sometim€s cxhibired micropinocyroric vcsiclcs or polarizaiion of primarl, grrrnulcs,. rvhcrcas rhc eosinophils showòd intracytoplasmic loss of granule contents and numerous tubulovesicúlar structures. Tumour cells contacted in rh.is way exhibited focal damage of plasnra membrane, cytoplasmic orgànelles or nuclear enveloie. Ir hls lrccn dcmousrrared in various in virro models of cell-mediated cytot<lxicity that contact between cyroroxic and target cells is an csscncial prerequisite for rarger cel[ lysis. Accordin[ly, our dara suggcsr thar.rhe neutrophils -may per se inreract with gasrric carcinoma cells, probably resulring in a lethal iniury of the tímour cells.