Divergence between the occurrence of antibody and cellular immune reactivity to cervical carcinoma cell lines in preinvasive and macroinvasive stages of cervical carcinoma.

A lymphocyte stimulation assay is described which detects immune reactivity to antigens derived from the CaSki cervical carcinoma cell line. Taking a stimulation index of greater than 4.1 as positive, the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 14/20 patients (70%) with untreated dysplasia or carcinoma-in-situ, 8/19 patients (42%) with untreated macroinvasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix and 8/38 controls (21%) showed positive reactions. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference between the group of patients with dysplasia or carcinoma-in-situ and the controls. The sera of patients and controls were simultaneously tested for the presence of tumour-directed antibody. There was no correlation between the occurrence of cellular immune reactivity and of serum antibody, both directed to cervical carcinoma antigens. Cellular immune reactivity tended to occur more frequently in patients with preinvasive stages of cervical carcinoma, and serum antibody in patients with macroinvasive carcinoma.