Leucocyte migration in response to P.P.D. in patients with trophoblastic tumours.

Abstract Migration inhibition studies using 3 different concentrations of purified protein derivative (P.P.D.) was performed on 36 patients successfully treated for choriocarcinoma, 36 subjects who had spontaneously aborted a hydatidiform mole and 36 normal controls. In both the patient and mole groups a considerable number showed increased migration instead of inhibition with the two lower doses of antigen. No significant difference could be found between the two groups. By contrast a much smaller number in the control group showed this phenomenon, although with two even lower doses, increased migration tended to occur in the control group. The difference between the results of this group and those of the other two groups is significant. There appeared to be no correlation between increased migration in those who had initially presented with metastatic disease and those who had not. The significance of these phenomena and other aspects of tumourhost interaction is discussed.