Effect of radiation therapy on mumps-delayed type hypersensitivity reaction in lymphoma and carcinoma patients

A study was undertaken to see the effect of radiation therapy on delayed type hypersensitivity reactions to mumps skin test antigen in patients with Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, carcinomas of the cervix, and carcinomas in which the thymus received direct irradiation. When compared to post irradiation patients with carcinoma of the cervix, the results showed a marked decrease in skin reactivity in post-irradiation patients with Hodgkin's disease and carcinomas such as breast, esophagus, and lung in which the thymus was irradiated. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients also showed a decrease in skin reactivity, but not to the same degree as in Hodgkin's patients. It was found that of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, only those who did not receive thymic irradiation reacted postively to the mumps antigen. The results indicate that irradiation of the thymus may play an important role in persisting anergy in post-treatment Hodgkin's patients who are in clinical remission.