Delayed Hypersensitivity in Cancer Patients: Cutaneous and in vitro Lymphocyte Response to Specific Antigens

SUMMARY-Delayed hypersensitivity, as measured by intracutaneous testing and lymphocyte culture, was evaluated in 16 patients with early cancer and in matched controls. There was no statistically signiRcant dif-ference in the cutaneous response to a baHery of 5 antigens, nor was anergy Found in any patient. The mean response of lymphocytes in culture to these same antigens tended to be lower in cancer patients than in controls. Only when the response to all 5 antigens was compared did this difference reach signiRcant levels. Normal lymphocytes cultured in plasma From the cancer patients did not show impaired response.-J Nat Cancer Inst 42: 765-770, 1969. CELL MEDIATED immune reactions are said to be depressed in many patients with nonlympho-rna tous neoplasms. Rejection of homo grafts of es-tablished lines of human cancer cells (1) or normal skin (2) has been shown to be impaired. Lympho