The phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced peripheral lymphocyte blastogenic response in cancer patients

The in vitro blastogenic response of peripheral bolld lymphocytes was determined in 50 patients with various types of malignancies by quantitation of phytohaemagglutinin PHA-induced tritiated thymidine uptake. PHA-induced blastogenic response was impaired in patients with malignancy more so in patients with squamous cell carcinoma in whom there was an inverse correlation with the stage of the tumor and the reduction. No correlation was seen in patients with adenocarcinoma, lymphoma or sarcoma. these data indicate that PHA-induced blastogenic respoonse is a potentially useful assay for the detection of immunocompromized persons especially in patients suffering from squamous cell carcinoma.