[Photographic evaluation of the electrophoretic mobility test. A modification]

By insertion of a paraboloid condenser and junction of a usual camera body the cytopherometer was modified to enable an objective evaluation and photographic documentation of the electrophoretic mobility test. The investigation of 25 patients suffering from gynecological cancer and of a control group of the same number using this modified cytopherometer demonstrated a similar rate of false results as achieved by usual timing (28% false, positive or negative, 12% valued ambiguous). In comparison with the timing by a stopwatch the standard deviations of individual photographic measurements were significantly higher (p less than 0,001), whereas no significant difference between the mean mobility indices of the two groups could be calculated (mean mobility index of 25 cancer patients: -7.2 +/- 11.7; mean mobility index of 25 control patients: -3.4 +/- 10.6). In addition the optical modification of the cytopherometer enables a particular analysis of cell movements and their disorders which are reported in detail. According to these observations the qualification of the cytopherometer for immunodiagnosis of cancer is valued doubtful.