Interferon-alpha induced changes in CEA expression in patients with CEA-producing tumours.
Enhancement of antigen expression could result in improved tumour targeting using antibodies directed to the antigen. In this study we performed radioimmunoscintigraphy using 99mTc-CEA-Scan to analyse the effect of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in enhancing the expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in ten patients with CEA-producing tumours. Furthermore, we investigated the feasibility of a future therapeutic study with this antibody fragment labelled with rhenium-186. Although IFN-alpha gave rise to a significant increase in antibody uptake by the tumour, the absolute antibody uptake in the tumour appeared to be poor, with a mean of 0.475% of injected dose (ID) in the tumour before IFN-alpha, rising to 0.562% ID in the tumour after IFN-alpha. Pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated no significant alterations after IFN-alpha. In conclusion, the administration of IFN-alpha is an attractive way to achieve enhanced tumour targeting, although the increase was of little clinical significance in this patient population and using this antibody fragment.
Verhaar-Langereis
M J
MJ
University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Bongers
V
V
de Klerk
J M
JM
van Dijk
A
A
Blijham
G H
GH
Zonnenberg
B A
BA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D016719:Radioimmunodetection / Q000379:methods*; D013667:Technetium
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D013667:Technetium