Cell-mediated immunity to melanoma-associated antigens in patients with ocular malignant melanoma.

We tested 11 patients with choroidal melanomas and 32 control subjects for cell-mediated immunity to melanoma-associated antigens by an in vitro leukocyte migration inhibition assay. Five of seven patients with choroidal melanomas, who received two melanoma extracts used in this series of experiments, had significant leukocyte migration inhibition as compared with none of 17 normal subjects. Four of five melanoma patients who received a third melanoma extract had significant leukocyte migration inhibition as did three of four normal controls, indicating that the extract showed nonspecific inhibition. These data agreed with the concept that patients with choroidal melanomas have cell-mediated immunity to common melanoma-associated antigens.