[Increase of skin reactivity to histamine in patients after lung cancer surgery].

In 16 patients with lung cancer submitted to radical surgery skin reactivity was studied. Skin prick test was done in all patients with histamine concentration--10 mg/ml and negative control before and after surgery. The longest wheal diameter was measured after 15 min and 30 min. The wheal size was determined as a difference between histamine wheal diameter and negative control diameter (before surgery--after 15 min. 1.53 +/- 1.43 mm., after 30 min. 2.31 +/- 1.77 mm. vs after surgery--after 15 min 3.44 +/- 1.06; p < 0.001, after 30 min 4.25 +/- 1.20; p < 0.001. In patients with lung cancer the significant increase in histamine wheal size was observed as compared with its size before surgery. The lower expression of histamine wheal receptors (mainly H1 skin receptors) is probably caused by cancer suppression. The expression of these receptors increased after tumor excision.