Fluorescent Antibody Studies in Malignant Melanoma

Sera from 57 patients with malignant melanoma and 39 control patients were tested by immunofluorescence techniques against 6 melanoma cell lines. Thirty-two per cent of tests with sera from melanoma patients showed fluorescence with these cell lines whereas only 17% of tests with control sera were positive. Reactions occurred in 21% of tests with sera from patients with primary melanoma compared with 40% with secondary melanomata and 54% with “cured” melanomata. The cell lines varied in antigenicity but this did not correlate with either pigmentation or length of time in culture. The cell lines which were most reactive with sera from melanoma patients were also most reactive with control sera.