Immunofluorescent detection of antibodies to ocular melanomas.

Abstract

Antitumor antibodies were detected in the sera of patients with uveal and conjunctival melanomas by the indirect immunofluorescent technique of tumor imprints. In 16 of 18 cases of primary choroidal melanoma, two cases of metastatic choroidal melanoma, and one case of late orbital recurrence, granular cytoplasmic fluorescence from labeled IgM antibodies was found. Immunoglobulin M antibodies were also found in two cases of iris melanoma and in two of three cases of conjunctival melanoma. Immunoglobulin G antibodies to tumor-associated antigens were found in three of nine cases of primary choroidal melanoma. Specificity of the reaction was established by absorption techniques, blocking studies, and the finding of no false positive results among control sera from 1,083 patients. The results imply that this serologic test may be a sensitive, nontraumatic diagnostic test for ocular melanomas.