Immunity and cancer: the role of PSA IgM Immune complexes for prostate cancer

• Published in: Urologia Vol. 77; no. 1; p. 1
• Main Authors: Zani, D, Costa, S, Beneduce, L, Fassina, G, Simeone, C, Cosciani Cunico, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Italian
• Published: United States 01.01.2010
• Subjects: Humans; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Male; Prostate-Specific Antigen - blood; Prostate-Specific Antigen - immunology; Prostatic Neoplasms - blood; Prostatic Neoplasms - immunology
• ISSN: 1724-6075
• DOI: 10.1177/039156031007700101

Immunoediting is a new concept in cancer surveillance. Immunity is involved in detecting cellular waste, and taking off transformed cells. In particular, natural IgM antibodies play an important role in immunosurveillance mechanisms against transformed cells in humans.? Scientific evidence indicates that biomarkers for different types of cancer, such as liver and colorectal cancer, circulate in blood associated with immunoglobulin M (IgM) to form complexes that improve diagnosis in comparison to circulating free biomarkers. In prostate cancer it has been demonstrated that testing for serum levels of the PSA-IgM immune complex improves the diagnostic performance of total PSA. Preliminary reports indicate that the combination of PSA-IgM with total PSA is the best approach to reduce the number of negative prostatic mapping thus improving the diagnosis of prostate cancer.