[Immune profile in melanoma patients. I. PHA--stimulation of circulating lymphocytes and number of T- and B-lymphocytes (author's transl)].

20 patients with malignant melanoma in clinical stage I and II and 10 controls were examined by means of the PHA-lymphocyte-stimulation-test as by the sheep red cell rosette formation for T-cells and by the mouse red cell rosette formation for B-cells at the beginning of a non-specific immunotherapy with BCG. Mean values of both the PHA stimulation indices and the circulating T-cells and B-cells did not show any significant differences in patients with malignant melanoma compared to the control group. The relatively wide range of values was striking, especially in patients with malignant melanoma in clinical stage II. Thus cross-section studies concerning the immunology of patients with malignant melanoma are thought to be less evident for the clinician than immunologic studies of the course of disease in the individual patient.