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An assay allowing quantitation of monocyte function, i.e., chemotaxis, was used to study the activity of monocytes in patients with neoplasms of the urinary tract. Twenty-four subjects with various stages of renal carcinoma exhibited a mean chemotactic defect of 34% (P less than 0.005) as compared to normal controls and patients hospitalized with nonneoplastic diseases. Twelve persons with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder had a 29.8% (P less than 0.01) mean chemotactic defect as compared to the controls. There was no correlation between tumor stage and degree of chemotactic defect;--J Natl Cancer Inst 55: 1047-1054, 1975.

We evaluated 39 patients with various stages of bladder carcinoma to determine alterations in monocyte function. Since the monocyte plays an important role in the effector arm of the immune system defective function may explain the host's inability to destroy neoplastic cells. As a group these 39 patients demonstrated defective monocyte monocyte function. There was no correlation between tumor stage and degree of chemotactic defect. Patients with invasive carcinoma had a significant return of monocyte chemotactic response toward normal postoperatively (p less than 0.005). Monocyte function was improved also in 3 patients who received Bacillus Calmette-Guerin immunotherapy (p less than 0.05).