title: Autoantibodies to c-myc protein: elevated levels in patients with African Burkitt's lymphoma and normal Ghanians.
abstract: Sera from U.S. patients with SLE, RA, and various malignancies, clinically normal individuals with sero-activity to HIV, AIDS, and from pregnant women were tested for the presence of anti-c-myc antibodies. In an ELISA using recombinant human c-myc protein as the antigen, no difference in mean antibody titer was generally detected in these sera when compared to normal controls. Only three malignancy sera (two myeloid leukemia and only one lymphoma) and two patients with AIDS-related lymphoma exhibited exceedingly higher levels of anti-c-myc antibody. However, significantly elevated anti-c-myc antibody levels were found among 20 patients with African Burkitt's lymphoma (Ghana) and 20 normal Ghanians, thus apparently reflecting an autoimmune phenomenon prevalent in the endemic region. These findings indicated that elevated levels of anti-c-myc antibodies are not a general characteristic of patients with diseases that have been associated with increased expression of c-myc.
authors: Laboratory of Human Reproduction and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
authors: R E
authors: RE
authors: LaFond
authors: R B
authors: RB
authors: Eaton
authors: R A
authors: RA
authors: Watt
authors: C A
authors: CA
authors: Villee
authors: J K
authors: JK
authors: Actor
authors: P H
authors: PH
authors: Schur
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D016259:Genes, myc; D005869:Ghana; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012016:Reference Values; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc