Immunoglobulin A, G and E levels in Egyptians with cancer: influence of schistosomiasis

Levels of certain tumor markers as differential factors between bilharzial and non-biharzial bladder cancer among Egyptian patients

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Bladder cancer is the commonest type of malignant tumors as a result of schistosomaisis which is a major healthy problem in many subtropical developing countries. The aim of this study is to comparatively elucidate the underlying biochemical tumor markers in schistosomal bladder cancer versus non-schistosomal bladder cancer when compared to normal healthy ones.

METHODS

This work was performed on tissue specimens from total 25 patients and serum samples from total 30 patients versus ten healthy individuals served as control. The investigated parameters in serum are: xanthine oxidase (XO), fructosamine, lactate dehydrogense (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total proteins, essential and non- essential amino acids profile, hydroxyproline, total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). In addition, the current investigation also extended to study some markers in tumor bladder tissues including, pyruvate kinase enzyme (PK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT).

RESULTS

Results showed that biharzial bladder cancer patients recored more significant elevation in serum XO, fructosamine, LDH, AST, ALT, hydroxyproline, IgE and TNF-α than in bladder cancer patients when compared to control ones. While, in tissues there were significant increase in PK, LDH, AST & ALT activities of schistosomal bladder cancer than in bladder cancer as compared to control healthy patients.

CONCLUSIONS

It could be concluded that, bilharzial and non-bilharzial bladder cancer showed distinct biochemical profile of tumor development and progression which can be taken into consideration in diagnosis of bladder cancer.

A systematic review of the association between circulating concentrations of C reactive protein and cancer

The objective of this study was to review and summarise the published evidence for an association between circulating concentrations of C reactive protein (CRP) and cancer through a systematic review. 90 discrete studies were identified. 81 (90%) were prevalent case-control or cross-sectional studies, and only 9 studies had a prospective design. In most prevalent studies, CRP concentrations were found to be higher in patients with cancer than in healthy controls or controls with benign conditions. Of the nine large prospective studies identified in this review, four reported no relationship between circulating CRP levels and breast, prostate or colorectal cancers, and five studies found that CRP was associated with colorectal or lung cancers. Most of the studies evaluating CRP as a diagnostic marker of cancer did not present relevant statistical analyses. Furthermore, any association reported in the prevalent studies might reflect reverse causation, survival bias or confounding. The prospective studies provided no strong evidence for a causal role of CRP in cancer. Instead of further prevalent studies, more large prospective studies and CRP gene-cancer association studies would be valuable in investigating the role of CRP in cancer.

Serum immunoglobulins in patients with carcinoma of the oral cavity, uterine cervix and breast

Serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and IgE) were estimated in 196 patients with carcinoma of the oral cavity, 172 patients with cervical cancer and 166 patients with breast cancer. The values were compared with those of 50 patients with benign lesions of the breast and cervix and 100 healthy adult controls. Only the serum IgE levels were found to be elevated in the benign group. Serum IgA, IgD and IgE levels were found to be elevated in all the three types of cancers and the levels were found to increase with clinical stage. In carcinoma of uterine cervix IgG levels were also found to be elevated. Immunoglobulins A and D returned to normal after clinical cure whereas IgE remained slightly elevated. IgD and IgE remained high in patients who had residual cancer.