To elucidate alteration of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) activity of peripheral lymphocytes and helper/inducer and suppressor/cytototxic T cells in patients with thyroid tumors, the author examined PNP activity, and CD4+ and CD8+ cells of peripheral blood in 20 cases of simple goiter, 9 cases of thyroid adenoma and 20 cases of thyroid cancer as well as 11 cases of adult healthy subjects as control. Diagnoses were established on the basis of commonly accepted clinical and biochemical criteria in simple goiter and were confirmed histopathologically in thyroid adenoma and cancer. All blood was obtained from veins of the patients and control subjects in Pusan National University Hospital during the period of January to August, 1991. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1) The PNP activity was significantly decreased or tended to be decreased in thyroid adenomas and cancers as compared with control subjects and simple goiters. 2) The percentage of CD8 cells was significantly decreased or tended to be decreased in thyroid cancers as compared with simple goiters, thyroid adenomas and control subjects. 3) The CD4/CD8 ratio was significantly increased or tended to be increased in thyroid cancer as compared with simple goiters, thyroid adenomas and control subjects. On the basis of the results, it can be suggested that the immunodysfunction in thyroid cancer may be due to decreased suppressor/cytotoxic T cells, and the estimation of PNP activity of peripheral lymphocyte is a helpful test in detecting the immune status in thyroid tumors.