CEA-containing immune complexes in sera of patients with colorectal and breast cancer--analysis of complexed immunoglobulin classes.
A sandwich enzyme immunoassay was developed to detect circulating immune complexes containing carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA, or IgM using a nitrocellulose-bound anti-CEA antibody as the solid phase reagent. Elevated levels of CEA-containing circulating immune complexes (CEA-IC) were found in 15.4% of 117 sera from patients with colorectal cancer in a postsurgery follow-up study. Also in 24.5% of 102 sera from patients with breast cancer in different states of disease CEA-IC were found. The predominant Ig determined in CEA-IC of colorectal cancer patients was IgA, followed by IgG and IgM, whereas IgG and IgM were the most frequent Igs in CEA-IC of breast cancer patients. Elevated CEA levels were found in 12.0% of the colorectal cancer patients and in 25.4% of sera from breast cancer patients. No significance for the coincidence of elevated CEA levels and CEA-IC was recorded in all patients sera tested. In sera of patients with disease recurrence, however, both parameters were shown to be elevated (CEA 80.7% and CEA-IC 42.3%). The data presented indicate the detection of CEA-IC as an additional parameter for the identification of patients at increased risk for disease recurrence.
Fuchs
C
C
Institute for Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Krapf
F
F
Kern
P
P
Hoferichter
S
S
Jäger
W
W
Kalden
J R
JR
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000145:classification*; D007158:Immunologic Techniques
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins