In vitro and in vivo effects of Corynebacterium parvum on lymphocyte transformation.

Using a range of doses the effect of C. parvum on the in vitro response of lymphocytes to PHA was studied. C. parvum was not found to be mitogenic itself when added to unfractioned lymphocyte cultures from normal donors and patients with breast cancer, nor did it effect the response to PHA in these cultures except at the highest dose (20 microgram/100,000 cells) when it was inhibitory. 21 patients with breast cancer treated with C. parvum were assessed by their in vitro response to PHA prior to, during and on completion of treatment. We were unable to show consistent changes in PHA response following treatment with C. parvum; 9 patients having shown a fall, 4 having shown an increase and 8 remaining unchanged in their PHA response.