Immune response to human keratoacanthoma

Abstract

Immune reactivity to human keratoacanthoma was investigated by microcytotoxicity tests and immunofluorescence. Ig[immunoglobulin]M and complement were consistently present in lesions; IgG and fibrin were infrequent. No evidence of in vivo bound Ig was found on the surface of keratoacanthoma cells by membrane immunofluorescence. Neither patients'' sera nor peripheral blood leukocytes showed significant cytotoxicity against autochthonous tumor cells in microtiter assays. This study fails to support the view that regression of human keratoacanthoma is mediated by immunological mechanisms.