Aim of this study was to develop and apply an ELISA method for assessment of the levels of endogenous antibodies against benzo[a]pyrene (Bp) in blood sera of lung cancer (LC) patients.
Materials and methods: ELISA was developed and applied for the detection of endogenous idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies against Bp in human blood sera using recombinant human idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies against Bp.
Results: Serum samples of LC patients (n = 22) and healthy donors (n = 24) were analyzed by the new method. Statistical analysis showed that in sera of LC patients the levels of endogenous idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies against Bp were significantly higher than in healthy donors. A logistic regression model for the LC detection utilizing such predictors as the serum levels of idiotypic and anti-idiotypic antibodies against Bp, smoking status, and age, identified LC patients with 83% specificity and 82% sensitivity.
Conclusion: The proposed method could be further developed as additional lung cancer screening tool.