[Secretion of immunoglobulins in malignant melanoma of the skin].

The study was concerned with the dynamics of correlations between IgA, IgM and IgG levels involved in pigmented neoplasm development in 154 cancer patients and 75 healthy subjects. The dynamics was found to represent stages of tumor development rather than changes in absolute indexes of serum immunoglobulin concentrations. The nature of changes in the structure of correlations suggested a possible switch from IgM to IgG and IgM to IgA secretion, i.

[Use of a human embryonic antigen complex in studying the immune response in cancer patients].

The study was concerned with a comparison of immune response to antigen obtained from human embryonic intestine in patients with malignant and benign tumors of the breast and ovaries, cancer of the urinary bladder, cases of various inflammatory diseases and healthy controls. Application of this marker in the skin test of time-delayed hypersensitivity reaction provided a means of evaluation of tumor-associated immunological vigor. The results point to the similarity of skin reactions of time-delayed hypersensitivity in cases of mastopathy and early stages of breast cancer.

[Organization of cooperative oncologic immunological research in the RSFSR].

A number of medical establishments are conducting a joint study on Immunology of Tumors sponsored by CMEA. The study is carried out under the auspices of the P. A.

[Significance off the immunological status for the disease prognosis of oncological patients].

The importance of immune response indices in tumor patients is discussed on the basis of literature data and the author's findings. Although a correlation between clinical course of malignant disease and the patient's immunocompetence was established, the relationship of immune response indices and clinical TNM staging is not stable. Reasons are given for introducing U-criterion of immune response evaluation into TNM classification.

[Polysaccharide complex of human ovarian cancer studied by the microprecipitation reaction].

The work is concerned with studies of the polysaccharide complex (PSC) of human ovarian tumor--ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma in the Hoigne microprecipitation reaction. It was found that PSC of ovarian tumor tissue is a serologically active preparation. However, the results of the investigation as well as the potentialities of the technic used makes it impossible to state definitely the specificity of the ovarian tumor PCS in the Hoigne microprecipitation reaction.

[Immediate tasks and the potentials of conducting immunotherapy of malignant neoplasms].

This work sums up the immunological studies performed clinically and delineates the trends of further investigations in active non-specific, specific and passive immunotherapy associated with other methods of the treatment--irradiation, surgery, chemotherapy. There are offered 4 phases of the clinical study on the immunological effect on normalization of the cellular and humoral immunity responses in oncological patients: phase I--selecting of the dosage, phase II--studying of the effectiveness of immunostimulation, phase III--a detailed comparative study of new chemical drugs, phase IV--estimating the effectiveness of different schemes of immunotherapy including the combination treatment of oncological patients.

[Immunological reactivity of the body in cancer of the corpus uteri].

Under study were the factors of antitumor immunity (RHDT, the reaction of microprecipitation, the functional activity of lymphocytes, RFC and RBT) in 104 patients with cancer of the corpus uteri. It was found that most patients show an impaired immunobiological response, manifested in higher percentage of positive results with RHDT performed with the tumor antigen, and the reaction of microprecipitation with tumor and embryonal antigens, more week RFC and RBT. Immunological indices are getting worse with the process spread and are improved following the combination therapy.

[Nonspecific immunity in cancer of the internal organs and skin].

The authors studied comparatively a number of indices of nonspecific immune protection in 32 patients with paraneoplasia, in 34 patients with malignant (19) and benign (15) skin neoplasms, and also in 20 healthy persons. It has been found that in patients with paraneoplasias and skin cancer the most sensitive tests for decreased immune responses are as follows: qualitative and quantitative changes in the autoflora of non-involved skin covers, lysozyme titre and general bactericidity of blood serum. A progressive increase of dissemination of the skin cover against the background of the reduced lysozyme titre and general bactericidity of blood serum and also the appearance of C-reactive protein in serum render it reasonable to suspect malignant tumor process in patients suffering eczema, psoriasis and other skin lesions.

[Immunologic reactions in cervical cancer].

Under study were immunological indices--the reaction of microprecipitation (tumor and embryonal antigens) and HRDT (tumor and tuberculine antigens) in 305 patients with cancer of the uterine cervix. It was found that most patients showed impaired immune responses: an increased number of persons with specific antibodies circulating in blood serum and increased hypersensitivity of of delayed type. The percentage of positive reactions of microprecipitation and HRDT increases as the tumor spreads.

[State of blood basophilic granulocytes in the estimation of sensitization of patients with stomach neoplasm].

One of the methods reflecting the state of antitumor cell immunity is skin allergic reaction of delayed hypersensitivity to injection of antitumor antigen, which together with other indices is believed to be of certain importance in estimating the immune response of the cancer patient organism. The authors compared quantitative and morphological changes in blood basophilic granulocytes and the data of skin allergic reaction. The results of studies conducted indicated that changes in the quantity and degranulation of basophilic leucocytes may be used along with skin allergic response of delayed hypersensitivity as one of the criteria for estimation of the degree of sensibilization of the organism of gastric cancer patients.

[Activity of lymphocytes from patients with malignant melanoma in a culture with phytohemagglutinin].

In the present work, the authors have employed a test for blasttransformation and mitotic activity of lymphocytes in the culture with phytohemagglutinin (PHA-Difeo) to estimate the state of cell immunity in patients having malignant melanoma (95). A correlation was made between these tests and the number of lymphoid cells in patients blood prior to and 10--14 days after surgery, radio- and combined therapy. The most informative index of the cell immunity state in patients with malignant melanoma before application of special therapeutic measures was the absolute number of lymphocytes in blood, while following the treatment- the kinetics of the complex of tests under study.