Serum cold agglutinin and IgM levels in breast carcinoma

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Abstract
Breast carcinoma (BCa) cells produce I antigen or I antigen-like substances that may influence serum anti-I. We determined cold hemagglutinins in 170 BCa patients, 97 women with benign breast disease, and 37 female controls of comparable ages to the patients. The results were expressed as an anti-I score. Serum IgM was measured by radial immunodiffusion. The data for the BCa patients were analyzed by pathologic stage (PS) and histologic category. The anti-I score for PS III (28.1 ± 13.0; mean ± S.D.) was higher (pppppp<0.005) compared to the control value (157.1 ± 66.9). The results suggest an association of anti-I scores and PS of BCa and suggest an antigenic difference of mucinous and apocrine from infiltrative ductal BCa.