EVIDENCE FOR ALTERED CELL-MEDIATED-IMMUNITY IN POSTMASTECTOMY LYMPHEDEMA

Patients with chronic lymphoedema are prone to develop chronic infecti ons and various tumours in the lymphoedematous limb, suggesting that r egional immune surveillance is impaired. To test the hypothesis that c utaneous cell-mediated immunity is impaired, 35 women with postmastect omy lymphoedema were investigated using dinitrochlorobenzene to test t he afferent and efferent loops of the allergic contact immune response , The results support the role of lymphatics as an important component of the immune response to allergens by the demonstration of impairmen t of both the afferent and efferent loops of the allergic contact derm atitis reaction, and confirm that there is suppression of immune compe tence in a lymphoedematous limb.