J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 79(5): 394-409, 1978

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Original article

CLINICAL STUDIES ON THE SKIN TESTS IN PATIENTS WITH GASTRIC CANCER
Part 1. Immunological Aspects of Skin Tests in Relation to the Treatment

235 gastric cancer patients were tested with three types of skin test ; delayed type hypersensitivity reaction induced by tuberculin (P.P.D.) and 2-4 dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) and skin reaction induced by phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Immunological aspects were investigated in relation to the progress of diseases and the treatment.
The following results were obtained.
1) The reactivity of skin tests was reduced according to the aging of the patients, especially in the ages of 70-79 group.
2) The grade of the skin tests was highly proportional to the progress of gastric cancer and significantly reduced in stage IV group.
3) Of the four major factors relating to the progress of gastric cancer, serosal invasion (S-factor) seemed to be the most effective on the reactivity of the skin tests, and the other three factors (peritoneal dissemination, hepatic metastasis and lymph nodes metastasis) were less.
4) The weak responders of the skin tests indicated the higher mortality rate after operation as compared with the strong responders.
5) The skin tests seemed to be beneficial as immunological parameter of the cancer patients in clinical use.

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