Use of a permanent cell line extracts to study the tumor associated immune reactions in colorectal cancer patients by leucocyte migration inhibition test.

Crude extracts of colorectal surgical tumors, either individual or pooled, and HT29 line cells were compared in leucocyte migration inhibition test. HT29 cell extract gave more positive reactions with leucocytes of colorectal cancer patients than the other ones, and less with control leucocytes. It was thus used for all the subsequent experiments. As a whole, we obtained 44% (30/68) of positive inhibitions in patients afflicted with a colorectal carcinoma, against 9% (3/31e in normal controls and 20% (8/40) in patients bearing a carcinoma from another organ. Among the latest patients, those having a gynecological carcinoma were rarely positive, contrasting with those suffering from a carcinoma from the aerodigestive organs. It seemed that the antigen(s) involved in the reaction had no organ specificity, but rather a broad tissue specificity.