Antibodies reactive with the protein core of MUC1 mucin are present in ovarian cancer patients and healthy women |
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Authors: | Elizabeth R Richards Peter L Devine Rachel J Quin J Darrell Fontenot Bruce G Ward M A McGuckin |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Queensland, Clinical Sciences Building, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, 4029, Australia, AU;(2) The Population Council, Centre for Biomedical Research, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10021, USA e-mail: m.mcguckin@mailbox.uq.edu.au; Fax: +61 7 33655203, US |
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Abstract: | Antibodies reactive with peptide epitopes on the core protein of MUC1 epithelial mucin have been demonstrated in some patients
with adenocarcinomas. Because these epitopes can be exposed on MUC1 in the serum of healthy women, we measured concentrations
of MUC1-reactive antibodies in the serum of healthy pregnant and non-pregnant women, and in patients with benign and malignant
ovarian tumours. Antibodies were measured in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay utilising a synthetic peptide corresponding
to a 105-amino-acid segment of the MUC1 tandem repeat region (5.25 repeats). MUC1-reactive antibodies were always of an IgM
isotype and concentrations were highest in young healthy women and declined progressively with age (P = 0.0006) concomitantly with increasing serum MUC1 levels (P = 0.003). Regardless of age, antibody levels were lower in cancer patients than in healthy women (P<0.0001), but MUC1 levels were much higher in cancer patients (P<0.0001). Although high antibody levels were associated with greater survival in ovarian cancer (P = 0.015), multivariate regression analysis showed that this was not a significant independent prognostic indicator after
consideration of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, histological type, serum MUC1 levels
and age. Serial measurement of MUC1 and MUC1 antibodies during treatment in 18 patients with ovarian cancer and throughout
pregnancy in 10 women showed a negative correlation between alterations in MUC1 and MUC1 antibodies. These results show that
MUC1-peptide-reactive antibodies are present in the serum of healthy women and women with cancer and that they probably form
immune complexes with MUC1, but provide no evidence for an augmentation of the humoral immune response to MUC1 in ovarian
cancer
Received: 8 January 1998 / Accepted: 26 February 1998 |
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Keywords: | MUC1 Antibodies Ovarian cancer Mucin Immune complexes |
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