ABSTRACT
Leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay was employed to detect cell-mediated immune response in breast cancer patients of clinical stages I and II. Twenty-one breast cancer extracts were screened in 232 breast cancer patients and 343 healthy persons. The activity of individual extracts differed remarkably. Overall, LAI response was 58.6% (136/232) correct and 18.9% (65/343) false positive. Fifteen extracts were not suitable from the clinical point of view. Only two extracts gave a constantly high rate of tumor-specific LAI-positive values in breast cancer patients, ie, 83.3% (25/30) and low percentage of false positive results in controls, ie, 4% (2/50). A further study dealt with the possible relation between the activity of extracts (expressed in percentage of positive LAI results in the tumor group) and histology of primary tumor of patients whose tumor tissue was used for extraction. This relationship could not be proven statistically. We investigated also whether the percentage of correct LAI responses in breast cancer patients could be affected by histological agreement or disagreement (grading and node involvement) between primary tumor of extract donor and primary tumor of patients tested. No significant relationship was found in this respect.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/immunology , Immunologic Techniques , Leukocyte Adherence Inhibition Test , Adult , Female , Humans , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Tumor "specific" immune recognition was assayed in 125 patients with various breast diseases including breast cancer of clinical stage I and II, 22 patients with other malignancies and 64 healthy persons employing leukocyte adherence inhibition test (LAI). In the group of breast cancer patients (BC) there were 81% of positive responders (52/65) with a mean nonadherence index (NAI) value 67.4. Sensitization to extract derived from breast cancer was detected in 38.3% (23/60) of patients with benign breast diseases (BBD). The mean NAI value was significantly lower comparing to NAI value of BC patients (34.8 vs. 67.4) but exceeded the upper limit of normal values. The most frequent positive responders of BBD group were found in patients with proliferative mastopathy (11/17). Our study brought further evidence that BC patients and in a lesser degree BBD patients are sensitized to some antigen(s) contained in selected breast tumor extracts. However, high proportion of false positive results in healthy persons (14.1%) and mainly considerable number of positive responders in BBD patients represent a major limitation for clinical diagnostic usefulness of the LAI assay.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/immunology , Leukocytes/immunology , Antigens, Neoplasm/isolation & purification , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Cross Reactions , Evaluation Studies as Topic , False Positive Reactions , Female , Humans , Leukocyte Adherence Inhibition Test , Melanoma/immunology , Neoplasm StagingABSTRACT
DNCB and PPD skin testing was performed in 152 breast cancer patients. Bates' instruction with a plea for uniformity was used (Cancer, 43, 1979, 2306). Majority of patients were tested while being diagnosed and prior to the treatment. There were no differences in the reactivity within early operable breast cancer patients (Stage I and II) with respect to nodal involvement. Patients with N1 reacted in the same manner as those with N0. The reactivity of patients with locoregionally advanced disease (Stage III) was similar to that of Stage I and II patients. Significantly lower responsiveness was found in Stage IV patients, the depressed response to DNCB being more pronounced than to PPD.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/immunology , Dinitrochlorobenzene , Nitrobenzenes , Tuberculin , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Female , Humans , Immunity, Innate , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Staging , Skin TestsSubject(s)
Macrophages/immunology , Neoplasms/immunology , Animals , Cytotoxicity, Immunologic , Humans , Lymphocytes/immunologyABSTRACT
Clinical findings in 63 patients with malignant melanoma were compared with the results of PHA-induced lymphocyte transformation tests. The patients had been followed up for 1 to 60 months (average 16 months) and repeatedly tested at regular intervals. Reactivity of lymphocytes in stage I patients was not altered if compared with that of controls. The frequency of lowered values increased in more advanced stages. Only in stage II patients a significantly impaired PHA-lymphocyte transformation was demonstrated in comparison with controls. In stage I and II patients, there was no significant difference in lymphocyte transformation between those with the presence of tumor and those without clinically evident tumor. Prognostic value of PHA transformation tests as regards the appearance of distant metastases within two years after the first examination, could not be proven in patients at initial stages of melanoma.
Subject(s)
Lymphocyte Activation , Melanoma/immunology , Phytohemagglutinins/pharmacology , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Lymphocytes/drug effects , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
A new human cell line of malignant melanoma (MJM) was established with the use of the in vitro fragment technique. It has been maintained over 34 months of continuous cultivation. Three types of cells can be recognized by light microscope. The epitheloid elements predominate, less frequent are fibroblastoid and giant multinuclear cells. The pigment production is not macroscopically visible. Over 60 per cent of analyzed metabphases showed hyperdiploid number of chromosomes, the rest was mostly tetra and hexaploid. No marker chromosomes were detected. The growth studies indicate the MJM cells have 63-hr doubling time. Cytochemistry revealed positive pigment or propigment granules in 36 per cent of cells. Ultrastructural studies did not detect melanin granules but some particles resembling atypical premelanosomes and melanosomes were recognized in some sections.
