RHEUMATOID-FACTOR ISOTYPES AND CANCER PROGNOSIS

JONSSON T THORSTEINSSON J VALDIMARSSON H

T. Jonsson et al., RHEUMATOID-FACTOR ISOTYPES AND CANCER PROGNOSIS, Cancer, 69(8), 1992, pp. 2160-2165

18

INGLESE

Article

Cancer → ACNP

0008-543X

69

8

1992

2160 - 2165

ISI

0008-543X(1992)69:8<2160:RIACP>2.0.ZU;2-6

The relationship between rheumatoid factor (RF) and cancer was studied during a long-term health survey done in the Reykjavik area of Icelan d since 1967. A total of 16,299 blood samples from 13,858 persons atte nding this health survey between 1974 and 1983 were screened for the p resence of RF. In 1987, RF-positive participants in this study (n = 27 0) and matched RF-negative control subjects (n = 223) were evaluated f or incidence and prognosis of cancer with information obtained from th e comprehensive Icelandic Cancer Registry. The average observation tim e for this cohort was 9.3 years. Participants with raised immunoglobul in A RF in their original blood sample showed an increased risk of hav ing cancer compared with both other members of the cohort and the nati onal cancer incidence. Their total mortality was also higher during th e study period. By contrast, patients with cancer and elevated immunog lobulin M RF before the diagnosis of cancer were more likely to surviv e than those who were immunoglobulin M RF negative. Cancer incidence i n the RF-negative control group was not different from the expected na tional incidence of cancer in Iceland for that age group. It is sugges ted that elevation of immunoglobulin A RF is an adverse phenomenon in relation to cancer; elevation of immunoglobulin M RF is associated wit h a favorable prognosis.