Autoblood from medicinal leech as a means of active nonspecific immunotherapy in oncology

Autoblood from medicinal leech contains symbiotic bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila which is a nonanamnestic antigen for man and is therefore used with the purpose of active nonspecific /adjuvant/ immunotherapy. We took over the task, orienting to the clinical manifestations, of verifying the efficacy of active nonspecific immunotherapy carried out with the help of autoblood from medicinal leech in various localizations of cancer.

Treatment was given to patients with morphologically verified diagnosis. For intradermal administration, we diluted 0.5 ml of autoblood in 5.0 ml of normal saline, and 0.1 ml of the obtained mixture was injected into the volar surface of the forearm. A delayed-type skin hypersensitivity reaction was noted to develop within 24 — 48 hours in the place of injection with a characteristic lymphocytic-macrophageal infiltrate. Subcutaneously, we administered 0.5 ml of the undiluted autoblood. From six to ten hours after, there appeared fever and hyperthermia up to 41 ºC, lasting 5 — 6 hours, which should be considered as a protecting reaction of the body against bacterial aggression. Apparently, therapeutic effect of this methodology is provided not only by the properties of the classic haemotherapy, but by the cascade of the immunological reactions developing in the body in response to administration of the allogenic antigen, which is the symbiotic bacterium. In cases of intradermal administration of autoblood, no general systemic reactions were observed, probably, because all the bacterial bodies are killed resulting from the immune attack by macrophages and lymphocytes. Besides, all the patients were subjected to manual therapy of the abdomen, hirudoenergyrehabilitation by applying leeches to the energy centres, intranodular hirudotherapy with subcutaneous injections of T-activin in the area of lymphoid collectors draining the focus of the disease, heparinization in microdoses, as well as the standard therapy (XT, hormones) prescribed previously.

From 1992 to 2002, treatment was carried out in 23 patients with prostatic cancer, 19 patients with renal cell carcinoma, 16 patients with urinary-bladder cancer, 14 women with malignant tumours of the mammary glands, 5 people with lymphogranulomatosis, and in 2 with colorectal cancer. Improved quality of life and elevated level of the immune status were noted in all the patients: decreased pain, improved feeling of well-being, normalization of sleep and relieving nature, as well as partial, and sometimes complete regression of the tumour and metastases. The most complete effect was assessed in patients with prostatic cancer, in whom the long-term results were followed up to 5 years. During this period, 12 patients died. Treatment is continued with T₂N_xM₀ — by 1 patient, T₃N_xM₀ — by 5, T₃N_xM₁ — 2, T₄N_xM₁ — 1, T₄N₁M₁ — 2. The blood formula in the last group of the patients normalized, the lymphocytic count in 1 µl exeeds 1200 cells, which is indirectly indicative of enhancement of the immune system.

Conclusion. Autoblood from a medicinal leech in a combination with the standard methods improves the prognosis in oncological patients.