Kemerovo Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Kemerovo, Russia
Russ. J. Immunol. 1998, April 15, 3 (1), 21-28.
The review highlights the role of environmental carcinogens (diolepoxides of benzpyrene (BP), benzanthracene (BA) and chrysene) for origin of cancer and analyses some recent data on methods to diagnose cancer diseases. To facilitate cancer diagnosing the method of specific Ab screening has been elaborated and investigated for being applied in clinical practice. It is suggested that high environmental concentrations of discussed chemicals may lead to significant accumulation of their carcinogenic metabolites in tissues, that may finally induces origin of cancer. The metabolites can form complexes with natural tissue macromolecules as RNA, DNA, serum blood proteins etc., termed as adducts, which are water soluble and finally excreted. Adducts with macromolecules can act as haptens and, as a rule, can trigger synthesis of specific Abs. It is proposed that elucidating of Abs specificity to particular carcinogens and dynamic of synthesis of Ig-Ab types may enable to diagnose particular stages of cancer, including those the very initial. Additionally, the Ab analysis may reveal which chemicals induced cancer. In connection with this, it seems perspective to elaborate and apply for cancer diagnosing a panel of mAbs to particular metabolites of the carcinogenic substances.