Correlation of Fcγ receptors on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer

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Abstract
Patients with carcinomas have elevated levels of Fc receptors for IgG (FcγR) on their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The purpose of the present study was to determine whether there is a correlation between FcγR levels on PBMC and survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Binding assays were performed on PBMC using125I-labeled fibrinogen complexed with rabbit IgG (or as a control F(ab′)2) anti-human fibrinogen. Twenty-two metastatic breast cancer patients had significantly (p<0.001) elevated FcγR levels as compared to either 22 breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy following mastectomy without clinical evidence of tumor, or to 34 non-malignant controls. Significantly more metastatic patients with elevated FcγR levels died at 6 months (p<0.001) as compared to those with low levels. A direct correlation between FcγR levels and hazard probability was found (correlation coefficient = 0.3321, p<0.005). These results raise the possibility that FcγR levels on PMBC from metastatic breast cancer patients may be clinically useful as a prognostic marker of disease activity.