title: [Illness stage and IgA-anti-Fab/F(ab')2 autoantibody activity in serum of patients with malignant head-neck tumors].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with malignant tumors of the head and neck often show immune defects. Increased serum IgA levels have been reported in these groups of patients. We investigated whether IgA-anti-Fab or IgA-anti-F(ab')2 autoantibodies, which have been shown to correlate with severe dysfunction of the immune system, also appear in patients with head and neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera of 110 patients with squamous cell carcinoma, eight patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma, and 57 healthy controls were tested with an ELISA for IgA-anti-Fab autoantibody activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with head and neck cancer showed a higher IgA-anti-Fab activity (OD:399, n = 118) than healthy controls (OD: 84, n = 57, p < 0.0001). An association between stage of disease and IgA-anti-Fab activity could be established in patients with SCCHN. Stage IV patients had a significantly higher IgA-anti-Fab activity (OD: 538, n = 51) than stage 1 patients (OD: 283, n = 18, p < 0.05). Patients with stage II (OD: 293, n = 13) or stage III (OD: 379, n = 28) showed intermediate activity. Also a higher IgA-anti-Fab activity than in healthy controls was demonstrated in the eight patients with ACCHN (OD: 314, n = 8, p < 0.01). The highest IgA-anti-Fab activity was observed in eight patients with SCCHN who died within six months after testing (OD: 1004, n = 8). Similar results were obtained for IgA-anti-F(ab')2 autoantibodies. Our findings suggest an association between autoimmunity and final desintegration of physiological body functions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The occurrence of IgA-anti-Fab/IgA-anti-F(ab')2 autoantibodies might be interpreted as an aspect of immune deficiency in patients with malignant tumors of the head and neck.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde und Kopf-Hals-Chirurgie, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus, Ulm.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lorenz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Süsal
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Opelz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood*; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments
vernacular_title: Erkrankungsstadium und IgA-anti-Fab/F(ab')2-Auto-antikörperaktivität im Serum von Patienten mit malignen Kopf-Hals-Tumoren.