title: Anti-T antibody in malignant melanoma patients. Influence of response and survival following chemotherapy--changes in serum levels following C parvum, BCG immunization.
abstract: The level of anti-T antibodies directed towards the precursor T antigen of the MN blood group system was measured in the sera of 55 patients with disseminated melanoma, before and during chemoimmunotherapy. The anti-T titer was subnormal in patients before therapy; patients who responded to therapy had significantly higher titers than did nonresponders in sera taken before therapy, at regression/progression of disease, and during the last pulse of treatment. Higher pretreatment titers were associated with a significntly longer survival time. A single infusion of Corynebacterium parvum was given to 14 other melanoma patients and significant elevation of preimmunization titers was observed on days 14, 21, and 28 after infusion; Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, vaccination of 9 patients did not significantly alter the anti-T titer. The expression of the normally cryptic T antigen on melanoma cells would absorb naturally circulating anti-T antibodies. Less dense expression of T antigen on melanoma cells that were responsive to therapy, i.e., less "malignant," would explain the better prognosis for patients with higher titers. The increase in anti-T antibodies following administration of C parvum but not of BCG is of possible clinical relevance when C parvum is used as an immunotherapeutic agent.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008951:MNSs Blood-Group System; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011425:Propionibacterium acnes / Q000276:immunology*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D008951:MNSs Blood-Group System; D011498:Protein Precursors