Immune status in untreated cervical cancer patients.

Eighty untreated cervical carcinoma patients were tested for their immune status by evaluating levels of circulating T and B lymphocytes and lymphocyte reactivity to PHA. Significant reduction in T lymphocytes and depressed lymphocyte reactivity to PHA was observed following the progression of the disease. However, B lymphocyte levels remained unaffected. The general impairment observed in cell-mediated immunity was found to be more pronounced in the disseminated disease than in the localized group.