[Use of a human embryonic antigen complex in studying the immune response in cancer patients].

The study was concerned with a comparison of immune response to antigen obtained from human embryonic intestine in patients with malignant and benign tumors of the breast and ovaries, cancer of the urinary bladder, cases of various inflammatory diseases and healthy controls. Application of this marker in the skin test of time-delayed hypersensitivity reaction provided a means of evaluation of tumor-associated immunological vigor. The results point to the similarity of skin reactions of time-delayed hypersensitivity in cases of mastopathy and early stages of breast cancer. Therefore, human embryonic antigen may be used as an additional criterion of assessment of immunocompetence of patients with precancerous lesions and malignant neoplasms.