Immunoglobulin complexes in sera of patients with malignancy

Abstract

Sera frour 146 patients with malignancy, 59 normal controls and 42 patients hospitalized with non-malignant diseases were examined by a precipitin test with monoclonal rheumatoid factor (mRF) for the presence of circulating immune complexes containing IgG. Forty-two (29%) of the sera from cancer patients but only two of the sera from patients in each of the control groups contained such material. Similar results were obtained with a radioimmunoassay for immune complexes based on the same mRF. Sera from 23 of 65 patients with metastatic malignancy (35%) had elevated levels of immune complexes by this latter test. The presence of the material was not related to the source of malignancy, presence of carcinoembryonic or hepatitis antigens or of such autoantibodies as rheumatoid factor or anti-DNA. By density gradient ultracentrifugation the reacting material was identified as being of molecular size 19s or greater. It has not yet been further characterized with regard to the nature of any antigens present.

Stage-associated incidence of serum circulating immune complexes in patients with untreated bronchogenic carcinoma

“…The findings reported herein on the incidence of serum IC in BC patients are consonant with those from other investigators [7,11,14,16,17], although some groups using Clq-binding assays have reported a greater incidence and higher levels of IC [3,12,13]. Assays that are based on the precipitation or deviation of radiolabeled Clq may overestimate the incidence of IC, since polyanions have the ability to bind to Clq [3,12].…”

Circulating Immune Complexes in Malignant Melanoma: Serial Studies in 130 Patients

“…10. 22], rheumatoid factors [7] and the Raji cell assay [2], Depending on the study and the assay used, from 16 to 83% of the cancer patients tested had CIC. The incidence can vary widely with the tumor tested, its staging, as w'ell as the assay used.…”

Types of Immune Complexes in the Ascitic Fluid of Women with Carcinoma of the Ovary

“…In recent years there have been numerous reports describing the presence of immune complexes (IC) in the blood and on the surface of tumor cells of patients with malignant disease [1][2][3][4]. Such complexes have al so been reported in effusions associated with both breast cancer [5] and lung cancer [6].…”