title: Cell-mediated immunity of patients who have had basal cell carcinomas.
abstract: The cell-mediated immunity of patients who had basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) removed was studied by measuring cuntaneous delayed hypersensitivity reactions to recall antigens (Multitest CMI, Pasteur-Merieux), and by measuring lymphocyte counts and subsets. One group of patients had multiple BCCs (3 or more) removed and were considered to have a high risk of new BCC formation. The other group consisted of patients who had one BCC and had not developed another within 5 years; these were considered to have a low risk of new BCC formation. The low-risk patients had significantly larger cutaneous reactions to recall antigens (p < 0.05) and significantly fewer were anergic (p < 0.01). There was a correlation between smaller cutaneous reactions and increasing numbers of BCCs (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in lymphocyte counts or subsets, but the low-risk patients had a significantly higher CD4:CD8 ratio (p < 0.05) than the high-risk group. The Multitest CMI test can be used to determine which patients are at risk of developing many BCCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Heidelberg Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Czarnecki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mar
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kulinskaya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens