The tumor-associated shift in immunoglobulin G1/G2 is expressed at the messenger RNA level of peripheral blood B lymphocytes in patients with gynecologic malignancies.
BACKGROUND
Previously, it could be demonstrated that human patients with malignant diseases of various tissues exhibited characteristic and highly significant changes in the serum patterns of immunoglobulin (Ig)G subclasses, consisting of a decrease in IgG1 and an increase in IgG2 relative to total IgG. The aim of the current study was to determine whether this phenomenon was detectable at the level of IgG-producing B lymphocytes.


METHODS
Using a competitive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction specific to IgG1 and IgG2, the gene expression of these 2 IgG subclasses in peripheral B cells from 10 patients with carcinomas of various sites within the female reproductive tract and 10 healthy controls was quantitatively determined, in parallel with the concentrations of the respective serum proteins.


RESULTS
Absolute levels of IgG subclass messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) showed a slight but not significant decrease in IgG1 and an increase in IgG2 in patients with gynecologic malignancies. However, the ratio of IgG1 to IgG2 expression showed a highly significant (P < 0.001) decrease in tumor patients compared with healthy controls, and corresponded to the change in the ratio of IgG1 to IgG2 serum proteins.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that the shifts in the serum patterns of IgG1 and IgG2 observed in patients with gynecologic malignancies are due to irregular biosynthesis of these IgG subclasses at the B-cell level.
Felsner
P
P
Department of Pathophysiology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Steinschifter
W
W
Fischer
M
M
Eferl
R
R
Kenner
L
L
Zatloukal
K
K
Lahousen
M
M
Liebmann
P M
PM
Schauenstein
E
E
Schauenstein
K
K
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D017931:DNA Primers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012333:RNA, Messenger