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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF URINARY MELANOMA ANTIGEN EXCRETION AND THE ABILITY OF THYMOSIN TO RAISE THE LEVEL OF DEPLETED LYMPHOCYTES IN VITRO IN MALIGNANT MELANOMA
Author(s) -
VOLKERS C.,
COOKE B.,
BENNETT C.,
BYROM N.,
CAMPBELL M.,
ELLIOT P.,
WHITFIELD P.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1978.tb05801.x
Subject(s) - medicine , thymosin , melanoma , urine , antigen , urinary system , lymph node , stage (stratigraphy) , incubation , antibody , excretion , in vitro , lymphocyte , gastroenterology , immunology , cancer research , paleontology , biochemistry , chemistry , biology
One hundred and fifty‐six patients were screened for the presence of urinary melanoma antigen and serum cytoplasmic antibody. It was fuund that 44% of symptomless Stage 1 patients tested five to 15 years after operation had detectable antigen (Ag) in their urine: the urines of 67% of Stage 2A (local recurrence) patients were positive for Ag; while in only 38% of those patients graded 2B (lymph‐node involvement) were these tests positive. Urines of 83% of patients with generalized metastases (Stage 3) were positive. A sequential study was made of 23 patients seen and treated in 1976. Of this group, 14 reverted from a positive state to a negative one following excision of their tumour, while six were negative on first postoperative testing and subsequently became positive. Three out of the 23 remained persistently negative. T lymphocyte levels were assessed in 71 melanoma patients, and a stage‐related fall was noticed. Thymosin (Hoffman LaRoche) on in vitro incubation significantly raised the levels of T lymphocytes.