[Standardized recall antigen testing in patients with malignant melanoma, endogenous eczema patients and healthy...

By means of a new test kit (Multitest), intracutaneous tests have been performed on several groups of patients in order to evaluate the degree of cellular immunity. This test system affords the simultaneous application of seven quantitatively and qualitatively standardized antigens. In comparison to healthy people, patients suffering from malignant melanoma showed a slightly higher immunity reaction whereas patients with atopic dermatitis revealed a significantly lesser degree of reactivity to the recall-antigens. Chemotherapy with Dacarbazine did not change the amount of reactivity to the Multitest. This paper discusses the advantages of the new test kit as well as the difficulties of recall-antigen testing with regard to the evaluation of cellular immunity.