Circulating immune complexes in carcinoma of uterine cervix.

Circulating immune complexes were determined in the sera of forty-eight patients wital status by inhibition of rheumatoid factor (RF) maediated agglutination of IgG coated latex particles. The inhibitory activity was present in 63% of the sera from cervical cancer patients but only 13% of sera from control women contained this activity. Similarly, anticomplementary activity suggestive of the presence of immune complexes was present in 71% of sera from cancer patients and 13% of sera from control women. The incidence as well as the levels of immune complexes (IC) were higher in sera of patients with advanced stages of cancer as compared to those with Stage I cervical cancer. In addition, 95% of sera from cervical cancer patients had cryoblobulins, whereas only 20.8% sera from matched controls were positive for cryoprecipitates. All the cryoglobulins contained IgG type of immunoglobulin except one which had IgA immunoglobulins also. The complexes have not been characterized with regard to the nature of the antigen(s) present.