[Skin tests as immunologic parameters in cervical cancer]

Immunological skin-tests in 158 patients admitted at the 1st Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University of Vienna, and in 25 healthy controls were done in a long-term prospective study. 123 examined patients were suffering from invasive cervical cancer stage I or Ii (group 1), 17 patients were suffering from preinvasive lesions of the cervix (group 2) and 18 patients were admitted for treatment of benign disorders (group 3). Recall-antigens--streptokinase-streptodornase (SKSD), purified protein derivate (PPD) and candida (CAND)--and a primary antigen (DNCB) were used testing cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity reactions. Preoperative total reactivity to recall-antigens calculated by a score was significantly reduced in cancer patients in comparison to other groups. Subdividing the cancer patients according to histological criteria of the malignancy we could find significantly differences in particular tests (SKSD and CAND) but not in total reactivity score. Comparing the preoperative reactivity of cancer patients with or without recurrence of malignancy within two years less pronounced differences were found. Reactivity to recall-antigens in all tests and in all patient groups were better three weeks after surgical treatment than preoperatively. The prior found differences between the groups remained significant (p less than 0,05). In contrast, cancer patients demonstrated severe anergy in postoperative DNCB sensitization test as only 1 of 33 patients exhibited normal hypersensitivity reaction. 113 out of 24 patients of group 2 and 3 (54%) demonstrated delayed hypersensitivity to DNCB in operative sensitization test.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)