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Abstract

ABSTRACT : BACKGROUND: A total of 63 terminal untreatable stage IV head and neck cancer patients were investigated for clinical responses and presence of autoantibodies to various tissue antigens before and during S2- complex immunotherapy. METHODS: S2 –complex is a new low molecular weight biological response modifier (BRM) with a potant immunostimulating and anti tumor activities. RESULTS: Autoantibodies detected at pretreatment period were those directed towards the following antigens : nuclear, thyroid microsomal, epithelial cells, gastric parietal cells, smooth muscles, peripheral leukocytes, T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, monocytes, thymus reticular epithelial cells and Hassall’s corpuscles. Beside, autoantibodies with specificities to glomerular basement membrane and vascular endothelial cells were present at low incidence. Short term use of S2- complex induced a transient increase of the following autoantibodies: nuclear, thyroid microsomal, epithelial, parietal cells, smooth muscle, thymus reticuloepithelial cells, Hassal’s corpuscles, thymocytes, peripheral blood leukocytes, T, B-lymphocytes, monocytes, as well as kidney glomerular basement membrane and vasculr endothelial cells. DISCUSSION: In the later follow up period i.e. 2-6 months most of these autoantibodies responses returned to normal healthy control levels. Moreover, two exceptions were demonstrated which were the incidences of the antiglomerular basement membrane and vascular endothelial antibodies which remianed higher than the pretreatment frequencies. In addition, autoantibodies specific to mitochondria , thyroglobulin and red blood cells were only occasionally seen in our head and neck cancer patients both before and during S2- complex therapy.

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