Circulating anti-CEA antibodies in the sera of patients with breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to detect circulating anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibodies (anti-CEA) in breast cancer patients and to evaluate their clinical and prognostic significance.


METHODS
Fifty-two breast cancer patients and 28 controls were included in this study. Detection of anti-CEA antibodies was performed using a modified enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA). Sensitivity, specificity and usefulness index of anti-CEA antibodies were compared to those of CEA. The correlation of anti-CEA antibodies with survival and recurrence-free survival was tested with univariate and multivariate analysis.


RESULTS
Anti-CEA was present in 57% of breast cancer patients and in 11% of controls. The sensitivity and usefulness index of anti-CEA were significantly better than those of CEA. The specificity of anti-CEA antibodies was less than that of CEA, the difference not being statistically significant. Anti-CEA antibodies were an independent statistically significant, favourable factor in recurrence-free survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Anti-CEA antibodies circulate in breast cancer patients. They could be used as a more sensitive tumour marker than CEA. Their presence is associated with improved recurrence-free survival. These results should be confirmed in a larger series.
Haidopoulos
D
D
First Department of Surgery, Laikon Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Konstadoulakis
M M
MM
Antonakis
P T
PT
Alexiou
D G
DG
Manouras
A M
AM
Katsaragakis
S M
SM
Androulakis
G F
GF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M