Delayed-type skin hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) to Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) antigen as diagnostic test for human breast adenocarcinoma.
One intradermal (i.d.) injection of human erythrocyte T antigen in the upper outer arm contralateral to any breast lesion elicits a delayed tuberculin-type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) in breast carcinoma patients. It is necessary to inject simultaneously but separately the same quantity of MN antigen (about 6--8 cm apart), from which the T Antigen has been prepared, since particularly patients with Stage I breast carcinoma (Internatl. nomenclature) and those with benign breast disease may significantly react to it. The extent of reaction to MN antigen must be subtracted from the reaction to T antigen before interpreting results. DTH response to T antigen was 85% accurate among 67 patients with ductal breast carcinoma of all Stages (including non-invasive), 95% accurate (5% so far falsely positive) among 95 patients with benign breast disease and it was 100% accurate (no false positives) among 36 "healthy" persons tested. Among 18 patients with the comparatively rare and less ominous lobular and tubular breast carcinomata, the DTH reaction was positive in 8 of 16 (50%) patients with lobular, and in none of 2 patients with tubular breast carcinoma.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D002641:Chicago; D002648:Child; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007428:Intradermal Tests; D008875:Middle Aged
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm