[Prerequisites and possibilities of immunotherapy in acute leukemias]

Nowadays there are references that immuno-reactions of patients with carcinoma against tumour-associated antigens are of essential significance for the development and progressing of tumours. Also the frequent appearance of neoplasms in primary immunodeficiency syndromes indicates this fact. Also in human leukaemias there exist leukaemia-associated antigens. Humoral as well as cell-bound immunoreactions may be proved. Possibly leukaemia-associated immunoglobulins are blocking factors which prevent the cellular immunoreactions against leukaemia-associated membrane antigens. The presence of specific reactions against antigens on leukaemia-cells was the condition for a successful immunotherapy. Despite many theoretical possibilities the immunotherapy in the clinic at present restricts to the BCG-vaccination and to the application of living or irradiated leukaemia-cells. The hitherto reported results are encouraging.