Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) Skin Test in Predicting Prognosis in Cancer Patients

The immunological variation in wild populations and its relation to life-history traits has recently become a central topic in the field of evolutionary biology, considering the critical contribution of immunity to an individual’s fitness. A common technique used by ecologists to estimate immunocompetence in wild populations is the phytohemagglutinin (PHA) – skin test. In this test, the degree of local swelling triggered by PHA is usually considered an estimate of T-lymphocyte activity, although there is an ongoing debate regarding this interpretation. Here, we coupled the PHA–skin test with a histological analysis to examine the temporal development of the cell-mediated response in the subterranean rodent Talas tuco-tuco (Ctenomys talarum Thomas, 1898). The inflammation response involved lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and macrophages at the site of injection, achieving an increase of total leukocytes from 12 to 48 h after injection. However, the abundance of any of the leukocytes observed did not correlate with the degree of swelling at any time studied, suggesting that caution should be taken when interpreting the results of the PHA-induced swelling response. Particularly, the magnitude of macroscopic swelling should not be considered a priori as indicative of T-lymphocyte activity in wild-caught rodents. Our results highlight the importance of avoiding oversimplified approaches to measuring immunocompetence.

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The prevalance of chronic autoimmune urtiker and angioedema among lung and breast carcinoma cases

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2009.27.15_suppl.e20707 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e20707-e20707

Author(s):

D. Yalcin ◽

A. Kargi ◽

B. Savas ◽

A. Bisgin ◽

M. Ozdogan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Carcinoma ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Skin Test ◽

Lung Carcinoma ◽

Prospective Studies ◽

Blood Eosinophil ◽

Food History ◽

Total Ige ◽

Lung Cancers ◽

Allergic Disorders

e20707 Background: Although the risk of allergy and atopy in cancer patients has been studied in various prospective studies previously, no significant association was found between leukemia, breast, colorectal, lung cancers and allergic disorders or atopy. Our purpose in this study was to investigate the prevalance of chronic urticeria and angioedema in breast and lung carcinoma of adults in Mediterrianean Coast of Turkey, Antalya. Methods: 86 breast and 62 lung carcinoma patients that had diagnosed and underwent chemotherapy in Akdeniz University Oncology Clinic were studied. Blood eosinophil, total IgE, ANA, C3, C4, hepatitis markers and autologous skin test were examined in the cases with probable chronic autoimmune urticeria, angioedema. The data were statistically assessed with SPSS version 13.00. Results: Overall 148 patients were included. Median age was 62.4±14.6 years, 60.1% of the patients were women (47.2% of which is not working). 55.6% of the patients are living in apartments. In general, 5.4% (8 case) of the investigated population were diagnosed as autoimmun urticeria; Seven of the 8 of these were breast carcinoma cases (7 out of 86 breast Ca). In contrast, only one of them was lung carcinoma (1 out of 62 lung Ca). Total IgE level was 122 ± 21.4. None of the cases with positive autologous skin test has ANA positivity. Similarly, these cases were also HBV and HCV seronegative. Accompanying angioedema was present 3 cases (with no drug or food history). One case has a hashimato tiroiditis who underwent LT4 replacement. Another patient with autoimmun urticeria has allergical asthma together with 5 cases of allergical rhinitis and conjunctivitis. Conclusions: In this study the frequency of autoimmune urticeria is much higher in breast carcinoma cases compared to patients with lung carcinoma. Further researchs are needed to verify these results and to determine why such association exist. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

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Acute immunologic effects of interleukin-2 therapy in cancer patients: decreased delayed type hypersensitivity response and decreased proliferative response to soluble antigens.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.1988.6.9.1440 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 6 (9) ◽

pp. 1440-1449 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

E A Wiebke ◽

S A Rosenberg ◽

M T Lotze

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Skin Test ◽

T Lymphocyte ◽

Interleukin 2 ◽

Lymphoid Cells ◽

Delayed Type Hypersensitivity ◽

High Dose ◽

In Vitro Proliferation ◽

Activation Markers

We prospectively evaluated responses to recall antigen in ten cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy and correlated these responses with in vitro proliferation data. Before therapy, eight of ten patients responded normally to at least two of seven antigens of a multitest system (greater than or equal to 2 mm induration at 48 hours), with a mean induration score of 17.9 +/- 4.4 mm and 2.7 +/- 0.5 positive responses per patient. This decreased to 5.9 +/- 2.7 mm (P = .01) and 1.2 +/- 0.5 responses (P = .03) after a week of interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy, and further to 0.7 +/- 0.7 mm and 0.1 +/- 0.1 positive responses during a second week of therapy consisting of IL-2 plus activated autologous lymphocytes (P less than .01). The in vitro proliferation indices for lymphocytes obtained before skin test application were significantly less after IL-2 compared with pretreatment for concanavalin A ([con-A] Miles Laboratory, Elkhart, IN) stimulation (3.3 +/- 0.7 to 1.3 +/- 0.1; P = .03) and in mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) (41.5 +/- 8.5 to 16.8 +/- 3.8; P = .02), and during the second week of therapy for in vitro IL-2 stimulation (83.3 +/- 16.8 to 42.9 +/- 12.0; P less than .01). When skin responses were directly compared with in vitro proliferation data, a significant correlation was observed for tetanus (r = .75; P less than .01), streptococcal antigen (r = .83; P less than .01), tuberculin (r = .83; P less than .01), and candida (r = .78; P less than .01). Thus, significant decreases in skin test responses and in vitro proliferation were demonstrated after therapy compared with pretreatment. Flow cytometry revealed marked increases in T-lymphocyte numbers after IL-2 alone (973 +/- 252 to 3,436 +/- 754 cells/mL; P less than .01) and IL-2 receptor-bearing cells (105 +/- 28 to 983 +/- 215; P less than .01), but not in numbers of B-lymphocytes or monocytes. Induced anergy to skin test antigens was seen during a period of relative and absolute T-lymphocyte expansion. We conclude that immunotherapy with high-dose IL-2 with or without activated lymphocytes results in a decreased response to recall antigens during a period in which lymphoid cells with nominal activation markers (Tac, DR) increase.

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