The level of IgG antibodies reactive to TF, Tn and alpha-Gal polyacrylamide-glycoconjugates in breast cancer patients: relation to survival.

BACKGROUND The serum levels of IgG antibodies reactive to glycoconjugates (TF, Tn and αGal) were found to be associated with prognosis of gastrointestinal cancer patients. AIM To study the relation between the levels of serum antibodies to TF-pAA, Tn-PAA and αGal-PAA polyacrylamide-based glycoconjugates and survival in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS The preoperative level of IgG antibodies was analysed in the serum of patients (n = 59) using ELISA with polyacrylamide-glycoconjugates namely, TF-pAA (amide-type), and ethanolamide-conjugates Tn-PAA and αGal-PAA. Survival rate and hazard ratio (HR) were assessed by the Kaplan - Meier method and Cox univariate analysis in different pathomorphological groups. RESULTS Significantly better survival was observed in patients with an increased level of anti-TF-pAA antibodies both for all patients in total and groups in stages II-III; N1-2 and G3 (p = 0.008-0.021, HR = 0.18-0.23, mean survival time in months 164-186 vs 69-121). A trend to worse survival was observed in increased level of anti-Tn IgG (stages II-III) and anti-αGal IgG (G3): p = 0.075, HR = 2.49 and p = 0.066, HR = 3.27, respectively. CONCLUSION The method for the determination of circulating anti-TF-pAA IgG may be a useful supplement in long-term prognostic assessment of patients with breast cancer.