[Ovarian neoplasms. Immunoglobulin levels in patients with primary ovarian tumors].

The authors present a study on the immunoglobulins in 156 women who are divided into three groups: 81 with cancer of the ovary 54 normal controls and 21 controls who had some disease other than a malignant tumour of the ovary. The radio-immuno-diffusion technique of Mancini was used to estimate the levels of immunoglobulins. The authors conclude: that as far as immunoglobulins IgG and IgA go there is no significant difference in the groups that were looked at. As far as Ig M is concerned there is a significant rise in the level in women with primary malignant tumours of the ovary, whether they had clinical signs or symptoms or none. As far as the ratio between IgA and IgG is concerned there is a significant rise in the control group with malignant disease and in a sub-group of primary malignant tumours of the ovary who had clinical manifestations of the disease. This work fits into the framework of a larger study concerned with non-specific cellular immunity in patients who have a primary malignant tumour of the ovary. It is the first of the results that have come through and will be followed more deeply and more systematically.