title: Age-related reduction of antibody response against the human endogenous retrovirus K envelope in women.
abstract: In the present study, the correlation between the antibody response against human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) envelope and human age was investigated. Antibody levels were compared in groups in their 20s (n = 25), 30s (n = 39), 40s (n = 68), 50s (n = 32), and 60s and over (n = 25), which included healthy individuals and breast cancer and/or cervical cancer patients. It appeared that both IgM and IgG responses against the HERV-K envelope fell with increasing age. There were no differences in anti-HERV-K envelope antibody levels between healthy individuals and cancer patients. Therefore, our results indicated that the anti-HERV-K antibody levels cannot be considered as cancer-specific marker. Also, IgG1 appeared to be the predominant subtype in the reduction of the IgG response by age. Receiver operating characteristic curves of anti-HERV-K envelope IgM levels indicated that the groups of people in their 20s or 30s could be distinguished from those in their 40s, 50s or 60s and over with satisfactory sensitivity and specificity. These findings indicate that the serum antibody level of HERV-K envelope is a critical parameter reflecting person's age.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 06974, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyoung Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Breast and Thyroid Cancer Center, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul 07985, South Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-In
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Breast and Thyroid Cancer Center, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul 07985, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jun Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul 07985, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 06974, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hong-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins
keywords: Gerotarget; age; breast cancer; cervical cancer; envelope; human endogenous retrovirus K