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Correlation of tumor burden with in vitro lymphocyte reactivity and antibodies to herpesvirus tumor‐associated antigens in head and neck squamous carcinoma
Author(s) -
Silverman Norman A.,
Alexander John C.,
Hollinshead Ariel C.,
Chretien Paul B.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197601)37:1<135::aid-cncr2820370120>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - medicine , antibody , antigen , carcinoma , herpes simplex virus , lymphocyte , pathology , virus , immunology
In 94 patients with squamous carcinoma of the head and neck region, the clinical extent of tumor was correlated with in vitro lymphocyte reactivity (LR) to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and serum complement‐fixing antibodies to herpes simplex virus (HSV)‐induced tumor‐associated antigen (TAA). Forty‐six patients were tumor‐bearing and 48 were considered cured. Controls were 41 age‐matched normals with histories of similar cigarette consumption. In 15 patients with Stage I carcinomas of the larynx, among whom the tumor diameter was 5 mm or less, mean LR to PHA did not differ from controls and 7 of 11 tested (63%) had antibodies to HSV‐TAA. In 83 patients with more extensive tumors, LR to PHA was significantly lower than controls and 42 of 44 tested (95%) had antibodies to HSV‐TAA. In both groups, LR to PHA was similar among tumorbearing and cured patients. The study delineates a clinical tumor burden associated with impaired LR to PHA and a high incidence of antibodies to HSV‐TAA in patients with squamous carcinomas of the head and neck region, and shows a correlation between the immune defects in clinically cured patients and tumor extent prior to treatment.