Immunoglobulin A, G and E levels in Egyptians with cancer: influence of schistosomiasis.

The main patient series consisted of 415 Egyptians attending the Cairo Cancer Institute and comprising 286 bladder cancer, 97 breast cancer, 14 head and neck cancer and 18 gastrointestinal cancer cases. Also included in the study were 36 patients with active schistosomiasis and 89 health controls. Serum IgA, IgG, IgG subclasses, IgE, Schistosoma and Ascaris-specific IgE (RAST) and the acute-phase protein CRP were measured in all, or sub-sets, of the main patient group.