[Positive immunoglobulin A expression in human epithelial carcinoma cell lines]

In the present study, we try to further elucidate which class of immunoglobulin is expressed in epithelial carcinoma cell lines.

Three assays, immunohistochemistry, Western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the cellular protein extracts and the cultivated supernatant.

Seven human epithelial carcinoma cell lines, MCF-7 (human breast carcinoma cell line), SW480 (human colon carcinoma cell line), MGC (human gastric carcinoma cell line), HeLa (human cervical carcinoma cell line), HNE2, CNE1-LMP1 and Tet-on-LMP1-HNE2 (three human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells) expressed IgA protein in their cellular extracts and cultivated supernatants.

Immunoglobulin is expressed in epithelium-derived carcinoma cell lines, which is in conflict with the traditional immunoglobulin theory. Our findings imply that the immunoglobulin expressed in epithelial carcinoma cells might play a role in the carcinogenesis of epithelium-derived carcinoma. Understanding the mechanism of immunoglobulin expression by cancer cells may possibly further facilitate the improvement techniques in cancer diagnosis, therapy or the mechanism of carcinogenesis.