KCl carcinoma extracts as tumor antigens in the electrophoretic mobility test: clinical evaluation

Specificity of cellular immune reactivity was tested in 182 cancer patients, 89 patients with inflammatory diseases, and 61 healthy controls. The in vitro method of electrophoretic mobility testing permitted evaluation of cellular immune reactivity. Soluble potassium chloride extracts from various human carcinomas were used as antigens. Out of 182 cancer patients 164 (90.1%) showed positive test results using extracts from tumors of the same type as the patient's tumor. Using the same tumor extracts in 61 healthy control persons, a total of 182 tests showed negative results in 156 cases (85.7%). Lymphocytic reactions to various tumor extracts varied in a typical pattern: The most pronounced migration inhibition was observed when tumor patients were tested against extracts of carcinomas of the same histogenesis. Tumor extracts deriving from different organs had a weaker or negative reaction. For each tumor a typical lymphocytic reaction pattern was noted. The method seems also to detect precancerous lesions; out of 19 patients with colorectal adenomas, 12 showed positive reactions to extracts from colorectal cancer. Inflammatory diseases of the various organs reduced the reliability of the method. Demonstrated specificity of sensitized lymphocytes could prove to be valuable aid in immunological tumor recognition.