title: A preliminary report on the effects of methanol extraction residue of BCG (MER) on cancer patients.
abstract: Twenty-seven patients with malignant neoplasia were injected intradermally with the methanol extraction residue (MER) fraction of tubercle bacilli. Two schedules of treatment were used: every other week and once a month; 1-10 courses of MER were administered to the patients. The skin reactivity to 3 recall antigens, as well as to the injected MER itself, was used to monitor the immune response. Improvement of skin reactivity occurred in 9 of 18 patients tested with recall antigens. Five of 6 patients treated every other week improved in their immune capacity whereas only 4 of 12 patients improved on the monthly schedule. Thus, repeated injections given every other week were more effective in increasing the cutaneous reactivity than monthly injections of MER. The side-effects of MER treatment were tolerable.
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001500:BCG Vaccine