Skip to main content
The British Journal of Cancer. Supplement logoLink to The British Journal of Cancer. Supplement
. 1973 Aug;1:208–214.

Macrophage Electrophoretic Mobility (MEM) Test in Cancer: A Critical Evaluation

E J Field, E A Caspary, K S Smith
PMCID: PMC2149059  PMID: 4140728

Abstract

Of 464 patients with verified cancer tested, 463 have been correctly diagnosed by measuring their lymphocyte sensitization to encephalitogenic factor or cancer basic protein. One patient with very rapidly advancing cancer gave a negative result but was found to have marked general hyporeactivity of her lymphocytes of unknown cause. Leukaemia, advanced tuberculosis, asthma, sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and a number of rare conditions may interfere with a correct diagnosis. It is advisable to test guinea-pigs for spontaneous sensitization to encephalitogenic factor and to exclude some of the other conditions by testing for sensitization of the patient's lymphocytes to BSA and PPD.

Full text

PDF
208

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. CASPARY E. A., FIELD E. J. AN ENCEPHALITOGENIC PROTEIN OF HUMAN ORIGIN: SOME CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1965 Mar 31;122:182–198. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1965.tb20202.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Caspary E. A., Feinmann E. L., Field E. J. Lymphocyte sensitization in asthma with special reference to nature and identity of intrinsic form. Br Med J. 1973 Jan 6;1(5844):15–16. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5844.15. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Caspary E. A., Field E. J. Specific lymphocyte sensitization in cancer: is there a common antigen in human malignant neoplasia? Br Med J. 1971 Jun 12;2(5762):613–617. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5762.613. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Coulson A. S., Chalmers D. G. Response of human blood lymphocytes to tuberculin PPD in tissue culture. Immunology. 1967 Apr;12(4):417–429. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DAVID J. R., AL-ASKARI S., LAWRENCE H. S., THOMAS L. DELAYED HYPERSENSITIVITY IN VITRO. I. THE SPECIFICITY OF INHIBITION OF CELL MIGRATION BY ANTIGENS. J Immunol. 1964 Aug;93:264–273. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Diengdoh J. V., Turk J. L. Electrophoretic mobility of guinea pig peritoneal exudate cells in hypersensitivity reactions. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1968;34(3):297–302. doi: 10.1159/000230121. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dunstone G. H., Knaggs T. W. Familial cancer of the colon and rectum. J Med Genet. 1972 Dec;9(4):451–456. doi: 10.1136/jmg.9.4.451. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Field E. J., Caspary E. A. "Spontaneous" lymphocyte reactivity in the presence of virus infection. Lancet. 1972 Apr 29;1(7757):963–963. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(72)91531-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Field E. J., Caspary E. A. Lymphocyte sensitisation: an in-vitro test for cancer? Lancet. 1970 Dec 26;2(7687):1337–1341. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(70)92361-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Field E. J., Caspary E. A. Lymphocyte sensitization in advanced malignant disease: a study of serum lymphocyte depressive factor. Br J Cancer. 1972 Jun;26(3):164–173. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1972.23. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Field E. J., Smith J. K. Lymphocyte sensitization and ageing. Gerontologia. 1972;18(4):185–192. doi: 10.1159/000211932. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. HOWEL-EVANS W., McCONNELL R. B., CLARKE C. A., SHEPPARD P. M. Carcinoma of the oesophagus with keratosis palmaris et plantaris (tylosis): a study of two families. Q J Med. 1958 Jul;27(107):413–429. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Harper P. S., Harper R. M., Howel-Evans A. W. Carcinoma of the oesophagus with tylosis. Q J Med. 1970 Jul;39(155):317–333. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hughes D., Caspary E. A. Lymphocyte transformation in vitro measured by tritiated thymidine uptake. I. Lymphocyte culture techniques. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1970;37(5):506–531. doi: 10.1159/000230240. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Knowles M., Hughes D. A technique for rapid isolation of macrophages from guinea-pig peritoneal exudates. J Clin Pathol. 1970 Dec;23(9):824–825. doi: 10.1136/jcp.23.9.824. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Pritchard J. A., Moore J. L., Sutherland W. H., Joslin C. A. Evaluation and development of the macrophage electrophoretic mobility (MEM) test for malignant disease. Br J Cancer. 1973 Jan;27(1):1–9. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1973.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sundaram K., Phondke G. P., Sundaresan P. In vitro studies on antibody production by lymph node cells using cell electrophoresis. Immunology. 1967 Oct;13(4):433–439. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The British Journal of Cancer. Supplement are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES