Immunoglobulins associated with human tumours in vivo: IgG concentrations in eluates of colonic carcinomas

Preliminary Evaluation of the Potential Prognostic Value of Serum Levels of Immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgG, IgE) in Patients with Gastric Cancer

Sixty patients with advanced gastric carcinoma who refused to receive cytotoxic chemotherapy were examined for serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE). Three samples were obtained every two months thereafter. The group of patients who had above-normal values of one or more of the examined immunoglobulins had a longer survival than the other (p<0.024). Immunoglobulin values were independent of the Helicobacter pylori antibody titer and of acute phase reactants. It is concluded that survival potentially correlates with serum immunoglobulin levels. Further studies including larger numbers of patients and correlating serum immunoglobulin levels with specific clinical parameters are needed to establish the prognostic role of serum immunoglobulins in patients with gastric carcinoma.

Neonatal Fc receptor expression in dendritic cells mediates protective immunity against colorectal cancer

Cancers arising in mucosal tissues account for a disproportionately large fraction of malignancies. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and the neonatal Fc receptor for IgG (FcRn) have an important function in the mucosal immune system that we have now shown extends to the induction of CD8(+) T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. We demonstrate that FcRn within dendritic cells (DCs) was critical for homeostatic activation of mucosal CD8(+) T cells that drove protection against the development of colorectal cancers and lung metastases. FcRn-mediated tumor protection was driven by DCs activation of endogenous tumor-reactive CD8(+) T cells via the cross-presentation of IgG complexed antigens (IgG IC), as well as the induction of cytotoxicity-promoting cytokine secretion, particularly interleukin-12, both of which were independently triggered by the FcRn-IgG IC interaction in murine and human DCs. FcRn thus has a primary role within mucosal tissues in activating local immune responses that are critical for priming efficient anti-tumor immunosurveillance.

A study of multiple biological markers in twins

Genetic and environmental influences on the phenotypic expressions of several biological markers were studied in 18 monozygous (MZ) and 8 dizygous (DZ) twin pairs. Zygosity was determined using ABO, Rh, and HLA. The biomarkers studied included: T & B lymphocytes, suppressor and helper T lymphocytes (T gamma, T mu), T cell (PHA) mitogen activation (MA), serum immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, and IgG), plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), aryl-hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) in lymphocytes. Temporal variation of markers over a 6-month period was not significant. The mean absolute differences between levels from first and second blood draws were less than one standard deviation. Variability associated with age was not significant. Females had higher levels of T lymphocytes than males. A gender related association was observed for the IgM immunoglobulin test: females had a higher mean level of IgM. Smoking was found to influence the levels of SCE, T helper lymphocytes and mitogen activation. The variability of these biomarkers within and between twin pairs was quantified. Immunoglobulin levels, particularly that of IgM, showed statistically greater similarity within MZ twins than within DZ twins. Several other markers suggested heritability.

Elution of cytomegalovirus antibodies from adenocarcinoma of the colon

Eluates were prepared by high salt extraction from normal colonic mucosa and adenocarcinomatous tissue from 28 patients, eight more from unmatched colonic tissue and five from patients with other gastrointestinal disease. Immunoglobulins were detected by ELISA: IgG was present in 24% eluates from normal colon and 21% from carcinomas; IgA in 55% eluates from normal colon and 39% from carcinomas; IgM in 55% from normal colon and 37% from carcinomas. Cytomegalovirus-specific antibody was found in 15% eluates from normal colon and in 18% carcinomas. Out of the 28 matched specimens, cytomegalovirus-specific IgG was detected in one normal and four tumour eluates, specific IgA in two normal and four tumour eluates, and specific IgM in two normal and two tumour eluates. In two instances cytomegalovirus-specific antibody was present in the eluates prepared from the normal and tumour tissue of the same patient. Of those eluates which contained cytomegalovirus-specific antibodies by ELISA, two were positive by anti-complement immunofluorescence of human embryo fibroblasts infected with cytomegalovirus strain AD-169. It seems possible, therefore, that cytomegalovirus antigens on colonic cells may be masked by complexing with anti-cytomegalovirus antibodies, and may not therefore be detected by techniques such as immunofluorescence.

Stage-related correlations between immunoglobulins and complement components in preoperative sera from patients with gastric carcinoma

Immunoglobulins A, G and M and complement components C3, C4 and C1-INH were quantitated in sera taken preoperatively from 168 patients with gastric carcinoma. The values were grouped according to stages (pTNM). The concentrations of C4 and C1-INH increased with advancing stage of disease and were above normal mean values in all stages. The concentration of IgG was below the normal mean value among all the patients and with the lowest concentration in stage III. Concentrations of IgA and C3 were above normal means but without significant relation to stages. There was a positive correlation between the concentrations of IgG and C1-INH in sera from patients with stage IV carcinoma, while the same correlation was negative in stages I-III. Although the results varied among the patients within each stage, the profiles of immunoglobulin and complement concentrations are of value in the preoperative staging of the disease.

The immunogenicity of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in athymic nude mice

Experiments were carried out to determine whether athymic nude (nu/nu) mice are capable of producing circulating antibodies to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). By a double antibody radioimmunoassay technique, no antiCEA activity was detected in the sera of normal nude mice, nude mice bearing any one of four types of CEA positive human colonic tumour xenografts or nude mice immunized with a purified CEA preparation. Conversely, we were able to demonstrate antiCEA activity in the sera of euthymic (+/+) Balb/c and heterozygote nude (nu/+) mice immunized by the same schedule. We conclude that nude mice do not produce significant amounts of circulating antiCEA in response to CEA, whether present in colorectal tumour xenografts or in the immunization schedule used. The immunogenicity of CEA in other xenograft systems and man is compared and contrasted to that in the nude mouse, and the significance of differences discussed with respect to the use of the nude-mouse-human-xenograft system as a model for human colonic cancer.

Cells bearing Fc receptors in human malignant solid tumours

Fc-receptor-bearing cells forming EA rosettes with antibody-coated human erythrocytes (Ripley) were studied in cell suspensions and in purified preparations of mononuclear cells (MC) from 20 human malignant tumours. The EA rosettes were studied in preparations made by cytocentrifugation and the rosette-forming cells identified by their nonspecific-esterase activity and phagocytic capacity. Fc receptors were found on 16 +/- 20% of all cells in the primary cell suspensions. Significantly more tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes had detectable Fc receptors normal control subjects (14 +/- 6%). There was a significant correlation between the proportion of lymphocytes lacking T and B markers (null cells) and the proportion of lymphocytes with Fc receptors. Fc receptors were also found on most tumour-infiltrating macrophages, on some T lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells and on a smaller percentage of the tumour cells. The significance of the Fc receptor and its usefulness as a marker of "host infiltration" into the tumours is discussed.