Studies on the immune status of patients with renal adenocarcinoma

Thirty-one patients with renal carcinoma were divided into 3 groups according to the stage of the disease and evaluated with skin tests to determine cell-mediated immunity and an in vitro chemostaxis assay to measure monocyte function. The patients demonstrated a significant defect in monocyte function, that is the ability to undergo chemotaxis when compared to healthy controls and patients with non-neoplastic disease (p less than 0.001). The defect tended to be more severe in patients with advanced disease. Improvements in monocyte function occurred following nephrectomy in patients with localized disease. The patients were skin tested with recall antigens and dinitrochlorobenzene to determine the presence of a delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity response. Croton oil was used to evaluate the non-specific inflammatory response. These studies indicate that a defect exists in cellular immunity as well as the inflammatory response. Patients with advanced disease tend to be unresponsive to these skin tests while those with localized disease are more likely to react to dinitrochlorobenzene and croton oil.