Detection of antibodies against benzo[a]pyrene in blood sera of lung cancer patients by ELISA using human recombinant idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies.

Aim of this study was to develop and apply an ELISA method for assessment of the levels of endogenous antibodies against benzo[a]pyrene (Bp) in blood sera of lung cancer (LC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ELISA was developed and applied for the detection of endogenous idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies against Bp in human blood sera using recombinant human idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies against Bp. RESULTS: Serum samples of LC patients (n = 22) and healthy donors (n = 24) were analyzed by the new method. Statistical analysis showed that in sera of LC patients the levels of endogenous idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies against Bp were significantly higher than in healthy donors. A logistic regression model for the LC detection utilizing such predictors as the serum levels of idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies against Bp, smoking status, and age, identified LC patients with 83% specificity and 82% sensitivity. CONCLUSION: The proposed method could be further developed as additional lung cancer screening tool.

Antibodies against benzo[a]pyrene in immunized mouse and in lung cancer patients.

AIM: To evaluate the production of antibodies against benzo[a]pyrene (BP) (Ab1) and corresponding antiidiotypic antibodies (Ab2) in mice after immunization with BP-protein conjugate and in lung cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Ab1 and Ab2 levels were measured by non-competitive ELISA in blood serum of 10 mice immunized with BP-protein conjugate, and in blood serum of 288 healthy persons and 165 lung cancer patients. RESULTS: The Ab1 level of was 2-fold higher than Ab2 level in blood serum of BP-immunized mice. In lung cancer patients the Ab1 level was almost 3 times higher and the Ab2 level was by 30% higher than these indexes in healthy individuals. The Ab1/Ab2 ratio was 2 in BP-immunized mice and healthy individuals and 1 in lung cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Our data have shown that the Ab1/Ab2 ratio in lung cancer patients differ from that in healthy individuals and is close to the Ab1/Ab2 ratio in BP-immunized mouse.