Serum Immunoglobulin Levels in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer (IgE, IgA, IgM, IgG)

Abstract

In the present study, 226 patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck, who had had undergone no antitumor therapy, were examined pretherapeutically for serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE). In cancer patients, significant elevations of mean levels of IgA and IgE were found in comparison to healthy controls (n = 100) and patients with chronic laryngitis (n = 63). IgG and IgM were in the range of the control groups. Levels above the upper limit were detected in 40.9% for IgE and 43.9% for IgA in the groups of cancer patients and in about 6% for both immunoglobulins in the control group. The group of patients with relapses in the follow-up were found to have pretherapeutically significantly higher levels of both IgE and IgA in comparison to those without evidence of disease for more than 6 months. These results point to the fact that determination of serum IgA and IgE levels in patients with head and neck cancer might be applicable as parameters for monitoring malignant disease, being additionally of some prognostic significance.

Evaluation of Humoral Immunity in Oral Cancer Patients from a Nigerian Referral Centre

“…In the present study, the mean serum level of IgA was significantly elevated (p = 0.01) in OSCC [9,10], however current evidence of immunoglobulin synthesis by some tumour cells suggest otherwise [11,12]. Increased levels of IgA in head and neck patients had been previously reported [15,16]. The locoregional production of IgA in the glandular mucosal surfaces of the head and neck region perhaps partly explains this phenomenon.…”

Reference distributions for immunoglobulins A, G, and M: A comparison of a large cohort to the world's literature

“…Five reported results from both Caucasian and other racial groups separately (11,68,70,72,116). Two studied only Asians (90,103), and two studied only black Africans (107,117) The remaining four did not provide the racial composition of study subjects (15,71,73,76). Five within-study comparisons of immunoglobulin measurements in healthy Caucasian and Black individuals were made (11,68,70,72,116).…”

Distribution of Immunoglobulins in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

“…Many authors have been interested in the specific im munoglobulin response caused by malignancies [16][17][18][19], Investigations of serum immunoglobulin levels showed an increase in total IgA, IgD and IgE in oral cavity malig nancies [16,20], while other authors did not observe simi lar results in patients with breast cancer [21]. Thus influen ces from an oral tumor may cause a change in the immu noglobulin class production.…”