Ex vivo removal of serum igg in a patient with colon carcinoma.Some biochemical, immunological and histological observations

Abstract

Plasma of a patient with metastatic colon carcinoma was perfused over Formalin and heat-killed S. aureus, in an extracorporeal filtration apparatus, in order to nonspecifically remove IgG and its complexes. Twenty ex vivo absorption procedures were done, over a five-month period, with a minimum of discomfort to the patient. Extracorporeal perfusion of plasma on S. aureus effectively reduced the levels of IgG and immune complexes in the perfused plasma. The nonspecific removal of IgG resulted in 1) slight biochemical alterations in the serum, 2) a transient reduction in the serum blocking activity and appearance of complement-dependent serum cytotoxicity, 3) an increase in the serum IgM levels, 4) a transient increase in the Ig surface-bearing lymphocytes and a decrease in "E" rosetting lymphocytes in the first 24-48 hours postperfusion, particularly during the early treatments, 5) an improvement in general condition of the patient and decrease in tumor size, and 6) histological changes in the tumor consistent with tumor destruction. The potential problems and clinical applications of procedures involving ex vivo specific or nonspecific immunoabsorbents are discussed.

B lymphocyte pathology in human colorectal cancer. Experimental and clinical therapeutic effects of partial B cell depletion

“…Attempts to reduce the circulating immune complexes from peripheral blood in cancer patients produced some eects in colon cancer treatment [2]; but these eects have not been reproduced in clinical trials [8]. To our knowledge, no descriptions of tumor-associated B cell pathology have been reported to date, and no rationale for B cell depletion treatment for solid nonlymphoid tumors has been suggested.…”

“…It has been shown that follicular hyperplasia in peritumor lymph nodes correlated with poor prognosis [12]. Further, it has been reported that nonspeci®c Ig depletion, by ex vivo adsorption with protein A columns, could in some cases result in the regression of metastasis in colorectal cancer patients [2]. The lower rates of survival reported in patients who received transfusions have been associated with an unidenti®ed role of B cells, possibly because of a suppressing eect of B cells on cellular components responsible for destroying micrometastases [33].…”

Remission of leukemia and loss of feline leukemia virus in cats injected with Staphylococcus protein A: association with increased circulating interferon and complement-dependent cytotoxic antibody.

“…Prior investigations have shown that, in several malignant diseases of experimental animals (1, 2, 13) or humans (14)(15)(16), regressions of disease may sometimes be produced by passing blood over columns containing SPA. In our studies ex vivo immunoadsorption with either whole organism Staphylococcus Cowan I protein A or SPA filters produced regressions in approximately 50% of pet cats suffering from FeLV-induced neoplasias.…”

The gene for staphylococcal protein A

“…protein A has been tested in the treatment of cancer and immunocomplex disorders (36 (D, A, B, and C), it was not obvious where to locate the first DNA sequence, which was determined from the HindIII site at map position 1.4 kb (Fig. 2).…”