[Lymphocytic infiltration in human gliomas]

A histological study of lymphocytic infiltration has been undertaken following removal at operation of one hundred human gliomas. This study has been completed with eight cases of tumour recurrence, six attempted autologous grafts, twenty one post-mortems and fourteen explorations of delayed hypersensitivity reactions. About half of the glioma specimens showed lymphocytic infiltration and no reaction was present in the other. Within this series of glioblastomas a correlation existed between the presence of infiltrating lymphocytes and the duration both of pre and post operative tumour evolution. The rejection of autologous grafts seemed to depend directly on the presence of lymphocytic infiltrations associated with the primary tumour. The retarded hypersensitivity reactions obtained after intradermic inoculations of cellular lyophilizates did not seem to be directly related either to the phenomenon of autologous graft rejection or to the presence of lymphocytic infiltrations. The results suggest that there is a complex system represented by two antigenic groups of transplantation type and sensitization type.