Skin tests with autologous cholesteryl hemisuccinate treated tumour cells in cancer patients

Abstract

Skin tests with autologous irradiated tumour cells were performed in 20 malignant melanoma, 7 breast and 6 ovarian cancer patients. In the majority of cases evident reaction was noted with cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHS)-treated cells while the reaction with untreated cells was mostly negative. No correlation was found between this reactivity and the ability of patients to be sensitized to DNCB and to their reactivity to PPD. No correlation was found between reactivity to CHS-treated tumour cells and the stage and course of the disease.

Increased Immunogenicity of Human Renal Carcinoma Cells following Treatment with Cholesterol Derivatives

“…The results presented here clearly show an enhanced delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity response in 54% of the patients who received irradiated autolo gous tumor cells from renal carcinoma pretreated with cholesteryl hemisuccinate compared to untreated cells. However, this ratio is lower than that reported by Skornick et al [12,13] or Munzarova et al [14], who observed strong skin reactions in 70% and 85% of the patients who had been tested in conditions similar to ours with autologous cholesteryl-hemisuccinate-treated tumor cells isolated from breast, ovary, gastric or colon carcinoma. No skin reaction with normal cells (circulat ing lymphocytes) or cholesteryl hemisuccinate suspen sion has been obseryed by these authors.…”

“…Secondly, although we improved our methods to obtain cell preparations with a high percentage of viability, we cannot affirm that our cell suspension was cytologically pure. This problem was already evoked elsewhere [14]. A third possible explana tion for the relative low proportion of delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity responses we obtained with renal cancer cells consists in the improper physicochemical proper ties of their plasma membrane.…”

“…For instance, Shinitsky et al [11] proposed that artificial ordering of tumor cell mem branes with cholesterol or cholesteryl hemisuccinate may significantly enhance the immunogenicity of various types of tumor cells. This has been verified for a large number of human tumors [12][13][14][15], but not for renal cell carcinoma. The results presented here clearly show an enhanced delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity response in 54% of the patients who received irradiated autolo gous tumor cells from renal carcinoma pretreated with cholesteryl hemisuccinate compared to untreated cells.…”

“…(b) Concerning the exploration of delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity in renal cell carcinoma patients, there are several possible explanations for the weaker propor tion of positive skin reactions we obtained with renal cell carcinoma, as compared to other tumors described in [12][13][14] all pretreated in view to decrease their mem brane fluidity. First, the absence of response in some patients could be caused by their advanced age and/or stage of cancer, during which the immune competence as well as most body functions decline, and the patient approaches a state of anergy.…”

“…tumor cells of decreased membrane fluidity after cholesteryl hemisuccinate treatment, while untreated cells elic ited a negative or a weakly positive skin reaction [12][13][14], Moreover, a phase I study of immunotherapy on solid tumors revealed that some cancer patients benefit from a 'vaccination' with autologous tumor cells pre treated with cholesteryl hemisuccinate [15]. So far, this approach has never been attempted on renal cell carcino mas.…”