Analysis of Circulating Immune Complexes and Detection of Microbial Antigenic Components in Breast Tumours in Anambra State Nigeria

Quantitative measurement of circulating immune complexes in cancer patients is a widely accepted measure linking immune complexes as useful for treatment monitoring. However, the components of these immune complexes are generally understudied. By the analysis of immune complexes, this work elicited some microbial agents that could be associated with breast tumours. Total of 99 female subjects were randomly recruited for this study, of which 24 had benign tumour, 25 had malignant tumour and 50 were tumour free controls subjects. The mean age of the female subjects with benign breast tumour was 37.9±10.1 years; malignant 49.6±10.8 and control subjects 35.9±9.0, and they were confirmed free from chemotherapy, autoimmune diseases and HIV infection. Immune complexes were precipitated and dissociated. Characterization of the antigens/antibodies was done using Enzyme linked immunoassay technique. Microbial antigenic components were detected in 21 benign tumour subjects, 20 malignant tumour subjects and 11 control subjects. Homogeneity and heterogeneity patterns of microbial antigenic distribution were seen in different groups. Heterogeneity pattern was prevalent in subjects with tumours. Detection of HCV was significantly high in subjects with benign and malignant tumours, while presence of Plasmodium falciparum, Helicobacter pylori and Salmonella typhi was also prominent. HBV and treponema pallidum were implicated. Heterogeneity pattern was prevalent in late stages of breast cancer while Plasmodium falciparum , HCV and Salmonella typhi were most prominent. The burden of microbial infection is prevalent in breast tumour subjects. Presence of the microbial antigens would represent the burden of the microbial infection in tumour development and the consequences of the persistent circulation of these microbial proteins were discussed.