Low level anti-Hu reactivity: A risk marker for small cell lung cancer?
BACKGROUND
Previous experimental and laboratory studies have implicated antibodies against Hu proteins (anti-Hu) as a potential marker for small cell lung cancer (SCLC); there are no estimates of the association between anti-Hu and SCLC using a population-based design.


METHODS
We used stored plasma specimens to evaluate anti-Hu reactivity in relationship to small cell lung cancer in a population-based case-control study. Using Western Blot analysis, we measured anti-Hu reactivity against recombinant Hu family member, HuD, in plasma samples from 41 SCLC cases and 79 controls individually matched for age, race, sex, and smoking status (never, past, current). We analyzed the association between anti-Hu reactivity and SCLC using conditional logistic regression.


RESULTS
Anti-Hu reactivity was associated with SCLC, both before and after adjustment for amount of smoking. We observed a smoking-adjusted odds ratio of 3.2 (95% confidence interval from 0.98 to 13.4) comparing subjects above 1800 units (the lower limit of the second tertile of the distribution among antibody positive controls) to subjects with lower reactivity. We also found suggestive evidence in follow-up of our cases that anti-Hu above 1800 units was related to longer-term survival from SCLC. The present research is the first report of anti-Hu reactivity and SCLC in a population-based study.


CONCLUSIONS
Given the suggestive evidence in this study, prospective analyses to examine whether anti-Hu reactivity might predict risk of developing SCLC, or whether anti-Hu reactivity could serve as an early marker for SCLC, may be warranted.
Tsou
Jeffrey A
JA
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9176, USA.
Kazarian
Meleeneh
M
Patel
Ankur
A
Galler
Janice S
JS
Laird-Offringa
Ite A
IA
Carpenter
Catherine L
CL
London
Stephanie J
SJ
D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D051959:ELAV Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D044465:White People
D001323:Autoantibodies; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051959:ELAV Proteins