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Peripheral Leukocyte Migration Inhibition Reactivity to Breast Cancer Antigens in Patients with Breast Cancer and in Normal Controls¹

Department of Medicine, University of Manitoba and Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E OV9, Canada

The peripheral leukocyte migration inhibition test has been used to assess cellular immunity to soluble antigen extracts of breast cancer in patients and normal controls. In sequential tests over several weeks, 23 of 23 patients with breast cancer in remission reacted intermittently, with 67 of 139 tests (48%) being positive (20% migration inhibition). Similarly, 6 of 10 patients in relapse reacted intermittently showing 16 of 61 positive tests (26%) and 126 of 129 normal females reacted intermittently showing 135 of 512 positive tests (26%). The mean percentage of migration inhibition for all tests in patients in remission was 16.4 ± 1.2% and that for normal controls was 7.2 ± 0.7%; this difference was highly significant (p < 0.001). The value for all tests in patients in relapse was 11.8 ± 1.4%; this was statistically lower than that for patients in remission (p < 0.05) but statistically higher than that for normal controls (p < 0.05). A few normal women, some with high risk factors such as a strong family history and/or fibrocystic and proliferative disease, had a mean percentage of migration inhibition value in the range of that for patients with breast cancer. Mean values of sequential tests may be a more meaningful index of cellular immunity against breast cancer antigen in all groups.

¹ This study was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute of Canada and the Medical Research Council of Canada.

Received 5/ 3/76. Accepted 7/ 6/76.