Cell-mediated immunity in renal cell carcinoma-preliminary report

The microcytotoxicity test was used in 8 cases post-nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma to stage the disease clinically and to evaluate immunologically. Half of the patients had stage IV disease and half were believed to be cured clinically. Cell-mediated immunity and serum blocking factors were found in all patients with known metastases. However, cellular immunity was not found in 3 of the 4 remaining patients and serum blocking factors were also not noted in the 2 clinically cured patients who were tested. These findings are compatible with the facts that cell-mediated immunity and serum blocking factors are found when there is a grossly discernible antigenic source, that serum blocking factors are lost in patients who are clinically free of tumor and that in some patients who are clinically cured with a possible total loss of antigenic presence there is a disappearance of significant cell-mediated immunity.