Immune function in healthy relatives of patients with malignant disease

Immune function studies of healthy members of families with multiple lymphoreticular neoplasms were compared with those of healthy members of families with multiple cancers and families with no known history of cancer. The lymphoma family group had a significantly elevated serum level of IgM and diminished responses to the Candida albicans skin test antigen and the T-cell mitogen concanavalin A. Subjects with Epstein-Barr virus-viral capsid antigen titers greater than or equal to 160 had lower responses to mitogens.