Comparison between the macrophage electrophoretic mobility (mem) and the fixed tanned erythrocyte electrophoretic mobility (fteem) tests in the detection of cancer

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Abstract
When peripheral lymphocytes from patients with a history of cancer are incubated with encephalitogenic factor (EF), in 90% of cases the resulting products reduce the net surface negativity of guinea‐pig macrophages, used as detector cells, as revealed in the macrophage electrophoretic mobility (MEM) test. The MEM test is positive in 36% of people with no history of cancer. Formaldehyde‐fixed tanned sheep erythrocytes have been used as detector cells in place of guinea‐pig macrophages, in a fixed tanned erythrocyte electrophoretic mobility (FTEEM) test, with lymphocyte products identical to those used in MEM tests. In patients with a history of cancer, positive results were obtained in 28/42 cases with the FTEEM test compared with 32/42 in the MEM test. In people with no history of cancer, negative results were obtained in 16/18 cases with the FTEEM test, compared with 12/18 in the MEM test in the present series, and 51/69 in a more extensive series. These differences are not significant. Cases in which discrepancies are revealed between the two tests are discussed in terms of individual case histories.