title: Circulating antibodies to carcinoembryonic antigen related to improved recurrence-free survival of patients with colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: This prospective study evaluated the prognostic value of antibodies to carcinoembryonic antigen (anti-CEA), detected by indirect immunosorbent assay, in the serum of colorectal carcinoma patients. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentrations, measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, were elevated in 26 (37.7%) of 69 patients with colorectal cancer and could not be detected among the 28 patients with benign intestinal conditions or 37 healthy individuals who comprised the control groups. Anti-CEA immuno globulin (Ig)G or IgM was detected by immunonephelometry in 44 (63.8%) patients with colorectal cancer, three (10.7%) with benign intestinal conditions and four (10.8%) healthy blood donors. Differences in antibody detection frequencies between the cancer patient group and the control groups were statistically significant. Titres of anti-CEA correlated significantly with CEA levels and Dukes' cancer stage. Antibody titre was an independent, significant, favourable predictor for 5-year recurrence-free survival. It is concluded that measurement of serum anti-CEA combined with CEA might be useful as a tumour marker and to assess prognosis. These results need to be confirmed in large, well-controlled, randomized clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Centre, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: X-J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Y-J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: J-Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Z-H
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: L-R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: P-R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: L-H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Z-Z
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: D-S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Wan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen