[Prognostic value of circulating immune complexes of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract (author's transl)].

CEA immune complexes and unbound CEA were preoperatively determined in 350 patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract. Circulating CEA immune complexes could be detected in 86 patients (25%) where an increase of tumor extension according to TNM classification was concomitant with an increasing percentage of patients with CEA immune complexes. 74/86 patients showed simultaneously pathological concentrations of unbound CEA. During postoperative surveillance the determinations of circulating CEA immune complexes could be used as prognostic criteria. In 30/50 patients with recurrent cancer CEA immune complexes were detected latest at the time of clinical diagnosis. Appearance of CEA immune complexes might contribute to characterization of the immune status of the patients. Some of the patients with widespread tumors exhibited a rapid increase of CEA immune complexes a few months before exitus (44% of the patients). Before exitus 13% of the patients again showed a greatly decreased concentration of CEA-immune complexes.