Immunocompetence of patients with transitional cell carcinoma as measured by dinitrochlorobenzene skin tests and in vitro lymphocyte function.

Overview

Patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder have a highly significant stepwise decrease in responsiveness to challenge with DNCB with advancing stage of disease. Seventy-five percent of those patients with superficial tumors are skin-test positive versus only 35% for those having tumors that are locally advanced and/or metastatic. MLC response and ability to stimulate in this culture as well as PHA and Con A response of blood leukocytes have been studied in relation to stage of disease and therapy. Recent irradiation appears to inhibit significantly MLC responsiveness, and PHA and Con A blastogenesis. Although responsiveness for this group of patients is decreased from normal, a further decrease occurs in responsiveness to Con A with advancing stage of disease. Blood leukocytes from some patients with urinary bladder carcinoma appear to have a decreased ability to function as stimulator cells in one-way MLC. This ability to stimulate returns to normal levels with tumor removal.