[Immune diagnosis of malignant diseases. X. Value of the electrophoresis mobility test in the diagnosis of broncho-pulmonary diseases]

Abstract

The frequency of bronchial carcinoma has increased significantly during the last five years. The prognosis depends very much on early diagnosis. With non-invasive methods the diagnosis can often not be certified and the dignity of a tumor can often not be judged preoperatively. With the EMT a differentiation between malignant and non-malignant pulmonary diseases is possible. The EMT is an in vitro cancer test to detect specific sensitised lymphocytes. After incubation with the encephalitogenic factor (EF) lymphocytes of patients with malignant diseases release a factor that slows the mobility of tanned and sulphosalicylic-acid stabilised sheep erythrocytes (ETS) in an electrical field. 96 patients with pulmonary diseases were checked; all malignant pulmonary diseases but one showed an inhibition of the ETS mobility, while the controls showed an acceleration; in the groups with benign pulmonary diseases most patients showed an acceleration, only in sarcoidosis in four out of twelve patients a slight ETS inhibition was registered. The differences between both groups are significant (p less than 0.001). The EMT differentiates reliably in malignant and non-malignant diseases. False-negative results are obtained during radiation and chemotherapy. In connection with other diagnostic aids the EMT is a valuable diagnostic method, by which the early cancer detection can be improved and the prognosis of the patients bettered significantly.