Demonstration of tumor associated delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions in patients with lung cancer and in patients with carcinoma of the cervix

A total of 75 patients with lung cancer and 25 patients with benign lung disease were evaluated for cutaneous reactivity to 3 standard microbial antigens and to 2,4 dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). Of the patients in each group, >95% reacted positively to at least one of the standard microbial antigens. Conversely, reactivity to DNCB was markedly depressed in the 75 cancer patients, especially so in those with nonresectable lesions. Sixteen of the cancer patients were tested with membrane extracts (ME) of autologous or allogeneic tumor cells, leukocytes, and normal lung. Nine patients developed delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions (DCHR) to tumor ME (7 to autologous preparations and 2 to allogeneic preparations). Of the 15 patients tested, 4 reacted to leukocyte ME but only 1 of 14 tested reacted to ME of normal lung. Seven lung cancer patients developed DCHR to ME of fetal lung but not to fetal liver. Fourteen patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix were tested with autologous and allogeneic ME of cervical carcinoma cells. Both preparations elicited DCHR, and there was a high incidence of cross reactivity, suggesting the presence of a common antigen in the tumor cells of patients with cervical carcinoma.