Abstract
This chapter reviews the various effects of tumors on the immune system. Carcinogens can affect the immune system in a number of ways; interference with the cell-mediated immunity (CMI) is one such example. CMI assayed by means of the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (DH reaction) embraces a number of phenomena which share certain common characteristics like antigen in the form of non-self or altered-self cells that is specifically recognized by T-lymphocytes. There are a number of mechanisms by which tumors may perturb the immune system like the use of suppressor cells; while in animals it is seen that receptors are blockaded by shed antigens, specific (enhancing) antibody that inhibits CMI, and immune complexes that similarly block CMI. Also, there is a belief that monocytes from cancer patients become armed with cytophilic anti-tumor antibody and when presented with antigenic extracts of tumors in vitro release, as a consequence of the antigen–antibody interaction, substances pharmacologically similar to leukotrienes then modulate leukocyte behavior. Further studies of the immunity observed in cancer patients should be motivated by the notion that immune mechanisms are protective against tumor incidence and that successful tumors subvert or evade immunologic surveillance.
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