Circulating immune complexes (CIC) were detected and quantitated in human breast cancer to monitor the efficiency of mastectomy. For this aim a microimmunoenzymatic test was set up, applying a solid-phase C1q. Features of this assay can be summarized as follows: ability to estimate as low as 10 ng of aggregated human IgG (ΔIgG), good reproducibility and simplicity of execution, and small serum sample required. A group of women with breast cancer at different stages (TNM classification) was tested for CIC, and 31.75 % were positive. Almost all patients submitted to surgery showed a reduction of this parameter thereafter. A parallel study was carried out in another group of women with benign breast disease, and a significant incidence of CIC was found.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AgnelloV., KofflerD., EisenbergJ.W., WinchesterR.J., KunkelH.G.: C1q precipitins in the sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and other hypocomplementic states: Characterization of high and low molecular weight types. J. Exp. Med., 134: 228–241, 1971.
2.
AhlstedtS., HansonL.Å., WadsworthC.: A C1q immunosorbent assay compared with thin layer gel filtration for measuring IgG aggregates. Scand. J. Immunol., 5: 293–297, 1976.
3.
CarpentierN.A., LangeG.T., FiereD.M., FournieG.J., LambertP.H.: The clinical relevance of circulating immune complexes in human leukemia with unfavorable prognosis. J. Clin. Invest., 60: 874–884, 1977.
HellströmI., HellströmK.E.: Studies on cellular immunity and its serum-mediated inhibition in Moloney-virus-induced mouse sarcoma. Int. J. Cancer, 4: 587–600, 1969.
7.
HellströmI., HellströmK.E.: Cell-mediated immune reaction to tumor antigen with particular emphasis on immunity to human neoplasms. Cancer, 34: 1461–1468, 1974.
8.
HoffkenK., MeredithI.D., RobinsR.A., BaldwinR.W., DaviesC.J., BlarneyR.W.: Circulating immune complexes in patients with breast cancer. Br. Med. J., 2: 218–220, 1977.
9.
HoffkenK., MeredithI.D., RobinsR.A., BaldwinR.W., DaviesC.J., BlarneyR.W.: Immune complexes and prognosis of human breast cancer. Lancet, 1: 672–673, 1978.
LambertP.H., DixonF.J., ZublerR.H., AgnelloV., CambiasoC., CasaliP., ClarkeJ., LowderyJ.S., McDuffieF.C., HayF.C., MacLennanI.C., MassonP., Müller-EberhardH.J., PenttinenK., SmithM., TappeinerG., TheofilopoulosA.N., VerroustP.: A WHO collaborative study for the evaluation of eighteen methods for detecting immune complexes in serum. J. Clin. Lab. Immunol., 1: 1–15, 1978.
12.
OldstoneM.B.A., TheofilopoulosA.N., GunvenP., KleinG.: Immune complexes associated with neoplasia: Presence of Epstein-Barr virus antigen-antibody complexes in Burkitt's lymphoma. Intervirology, 4: 292–302, 1975.
13.
PapsideroL.D., NemotoT., SnydermanM., ChuT.M.: Immune complexes in breast cancer patients as detected by C1q binding. Cancer, 44: 1636–1640, 1979.
14.
RossenR.D., ReisbergM.A., HershE.M., GuttermanJ.U.: The C1q binding test for soluble immune complexes. Clinical correlation obtained in patients with cancer. J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 58: 1205–1215, 1977.
15.
SamoyoaE.A., McDuffieF.C., NelsonA.M., GoV.L.W., LuthraH.S., BrumfieldH.W.: Immunoglobulin complexes in sera of patients with malignancy. Int. J. Cancer., 19: 12–17, 1977.
16.
TeshimaH., WaneboH., PinskjC., DayN.K.: Circulating immune complexes detected by 125I-C1q deviation test in sera of cancer patients. J. Clin. Invest., 59: 1134–1142, 1977.
17.
TheofilopoulosA.N., WilsonC.B., DixonF.J.: The Raji cell radioimmune assay for detecting immune complexes in human sera. J. Clin. Invest., 57: 169–182, 1976.
18.
ZublerR.H., NydeggerU., PerrinL.H., FehrK., McCormickJ., LambertP.H., MiescherP.A.: Circulating and intra-articular immune complexes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Correlation of 125I-C1q binding activity with clinical and biological features of the disease. J. Clin. Invest., 57: 1308–1319, 1976.
19.
ZublerR.H., LangeG., LambertP.H., MiescherP.A.: Detection of immune complexes in unheated sera by a modified 125I-C1q binding test. J. Immunol., 116: 232–235, 1976.
