Tumor-bound immunoglobulin in human gynecologic cancers

Abstract

By the use of immunofluorescence techniques, immunoglobulin of the IgG class was consistently found in touch preparations and in frozen sections of squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix (both keratinizing and nonkeratinizing) and in an adenosquamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, an adenocarcinoma of the cervix, a mixed mesodermal-uterine tumor, and a uterine adenocarcinoma metastasized to the ovaries. Trace amountsof IgM were found in 1 squamous cell carcinoma and in 1 adenocarcinoma of the cervix. Except for 1 tumor specimen consisting primarily of infiltrating lymphocytes that stained positive for human IgG, IgM, IgA, and C3, the tumors were consistently negative for IgA and C3. Specimens made from normal cervical tissue were uniformly negative for all immunoglobulins and complement. Positive staining for human IgG could be eliminated by incubation of the tumor preparations with unconjugated goat antihuman IgG before the preparations were stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated goat antihuman IgG. Attempts to elute the tumor-bound IgG with glycine-HCl buffer (pH 2.2) were most successful with the use of unfixed tissue, although the positive staining for IgG could not be entirely eliminated. The elution effects of the low-pH buffer on tissue fixed over 2 hours in 10% Formalin were minimal.