title: Correlation of tumor burden with in vitro lymphocyte reactivity and antibodies to herpesvirus tumor-associated antigens in head and neck squamous carcinoma.
abstract: 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 or 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 tumor-bearing 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.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D037102:Lectins