Circulating immune complexes (CIC) were found in 47% of 71 patients before treatment, in a horizontal study of the presence of CIC in primary lung cancer (PLC). The precipitation technique in PEG was used, and C1q, IgG and IgM fractions in the precipitate were assayed. Especially in epidermoid carcinoma, CIC were found in 1/6 cases with stage 1, 2/9 with stage II and 21/34 with stage III. The frequency was significantly higher in stage III cases, and showed a significant tendency to increase with progression of the clinical stage. If stage parameters are considered separately, this tendency correlates significantly (p less than 0.002) with the amount of lymph node involvement (N) but not to the tumor (T) size nor to the presence of metastases (M). Analysis of CIC behavior in comparison with the single fractions showed that C1q and/or IgG were elevated in 40% of cases. The presence of C1q and/or IgG associated with IgM is more characteristic of stage N2, while the presence of CIC with the fractions C1q and/or IgG not associated with IgM is more frequent in stage N1. There was a lower survival rate at 12 months in patients with CIC as compared to those without (p less than 0.05).

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Studies of cellular sensitization to BCG and PPD using leukocyte cell migration inhibition].

Leucocyte inhibition migration test (LMT) with BCG and PPD was applied in pulmonary tuberculosis, lung cancer and sarcoidosis. No significant differences were noticed in the results obtained with each of the two antigenic materials; nevertheless, one case lobectomized of lung cancer successively treated with chemiotherapie and immunostimulation with BCG presented LMT positivity with BCG and negativity with PPD. The unpublished results of the former investigations carried out with brute tuberculin (LMT) on patients with pulmonary tuberculosis are here reported no significant difference was noticed between the results obtained with brute tuberculin, and the results with PPD. The still unsettled problem presented by the lack of inhibition in the presence of PPD in leucocyte migration test in patients with areactive (AA) and intermediate areactive (AI) tuberculosis is also briefly discussed. Finally, the existence of a dissociation between the cutaneous delayed test and the in vitro test for the detection of cellular sensibilisation is confirmed even when LMT is applied either in the presence of BCG or of PPD.

Antibody Formation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Immunological aspects of sarcoidósis.

The results are reported of an immunological study conducted on 37 cases of active sarcoidosis, in which some in vivo and in vitro tests related to the cell-mediated immunitary response were effected. The results are discussed, with relation to the clinical use of the immunological tests adopted, and their immunopathogenetic significance. In particular, the occurrence of false-positive and false-negative results in the in vitro Kveim antigen test (LMT) using the antigen preparations currently available, limit its use in clinical practice.

Adult↗