Schwangerschaftsspezifische und schwangerschaftsassoziierte Proteine in der Diagnostik und Verlaufskontrolle maligner Erkrankungen

Abstract

Serum proteins are described the significance of which for pregnancy or for malignant growth is associated with their drastic increase or initial occurrence. In that immunological non-reaction (tolerance) against foreign antigen is inherent in both of the proceeding, and in that in vitro findings display immunosuppressive properties for the described serum proteins, a function within the scope of altered immunity can be conceived for these proteins. A dual role of the so called pregnancy-specific proteins and the pregnancy-associated proteins would be possible.The purpose of the neoplasma-derived serum proteins could be to block the efferent branch of the immune apparatus. They would occupy antigen determinants of the tumor cells and thereby inhibit the specific reaction mechanism of the effector cells as well as render the tumor invulnerable. The latter would closely resemble the earlier concept of a glycoprotein coat of the tumor cell. In this connection, the human Choriongonadotropin appears to be the best investigated and seems to confirm this model.The serum proteins, present in healthy individuals normally in almost indetectable amounts could, by contrast, acquire the function of blocking the afferent branch of the immune system. That is to say these proteins would be able to annul the recognition mechanism of immunologically competent lymphocytes, and to inhibit sensibilization. The electrophoretic mobility test of the pregnancy-associated ~2glycoprotein as well as the determination of el-fetoprotein receptors on T-lymphocytes are evidence for this concept.