THE RELATION OF SERUM ANTI-TF, Tn AND ALPHA-Gal IgG ANTIBODY LEVELS TO CANCER PROGRESSION AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL GRADING

Smorodin E.P., Kurtenkov O.A., Sergeyev B.L., Lipping A.A., Chuzmarov V.I., Afanasyev V.P.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied for determination of IgG antibodies to tumor-associated carbohydrate epitopes in serum of gastrointestinal and breast cancer patients. The synthetic polyacrylamide conjugates with Thomsen — Friedenreich hapten (TF), TF-precursor (Tn) and Gala1-3Galb (aGal) were used in the assay. In gastric cancer patients, a lower median of anti-TF IgG antibody level was typical to regional lymph node metastases (P = 0.007) and associated with disease progression (stages III, IV vs. I, II, P = 0.045). The anti-aGal IgG level was higher at stages III, IV (P = 0.059) and significantly higher in patients with tumor volume T2+T3 vs. T1 (P = 0.024). On the contrary, in breast cancer patients a lower anti-aGal IgG level was noted for greater tumor volume (P = 0.024). Lower anti-TF IgG antibody level was associated with a lower differentiated carcinomas: for gastric cancer P = 0.02–0.038, for gastrointestinal cancer P = 0.009–0.075. Lower anti-aGal IgG level was also associated with the low-differentiated carcinomas in breast cancer patients (P = 0.036). The differences found in cancer patients suggest possible relation of anti-TF and anti-aGal IgG antibodies to tumor progression and pathology.