Cell-mediated immunity to human oral carcinoma, and cross reactivity to patients with oral leukoplakia demonstrated by the leukocyte migration test.
Tissue extracts from 18 oral carcinomas were tested in the leukocyte migration capillary technique (LMCT) against autologous leukocytes and against leukocytes of healthy matched controls. The normal range was defined as the mean migration index (MI) of the leukocytes of the normal controls +/- 2SD. Three carcinoma patients showed significant inhibition and one was on the lower borderline of the normal range. None showed stimulation. When leukocytes of leukoplakia patients were tested against normal intestine and two homologous oral carcinoma extracts, significantly different MI's were found between carcinoma and normal intestine. The findings are compatible with a state of tissue-specific, cellular hypersensitivity against antigenic components present in oral leukoplakia and in oral carcinoma, and is possibly common between the two.
D000368:Aged; D002464:Cell Migration Inhibition; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012907:Smoking