Purpose  

Iodine-131 radiolabeled chimeric tumor necrosis therapy monoclonal antibody (¹³¹I-TNT) has been approved for the treatment of advanced lung cancer in China. In the present study, the immunogenicity of TNT was studied in advanced lung cancer patients using BIACORE and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods.

Experimental design  

Serum samples from 78 advanced lung cancer patients were analyzed for antibody development to TNT after systemic or intratumoral administration of two doses of ¹³¹I-TNT. Patients’ sera were obtained before, and 2 weeks and 2 months after ¹³¹I-TNT radioimmunotherapy.

Results  

Four of 78 lung cancer patients (4/78 or 5.13%) developed antibodies to TNT as measured by ELISA method, and 7 of 78 patients (8.97%) development anti-TNT antibody as measured by BIACORE biosensor after 2 doses of ¹³¹I-TNT administration (P > 0.05). All the 4 ELISA-positive patients were also BIACORE-positive. Among the 7 BIACORE-positive patients, 5 (of 42, 11.9%) patients receiving intravenous TNT injection developed antibodies to TNT, and 2 (of 36, 5.56%) patients, receiving intratumoral therapy developed antibodies to TNT. The route of administration of the radiolabeled TNT antibody was not a statistically significant factor in the incidence of anti-TNT antibody. Detailed BIACORE serological analysis showed that the induced antibodies were mostly of the IgG1 subclass.

Conclusions  

¹³¹I-TNT was immunogenic in only a small minority of advanced lung cancer patients (8.97%). The route of administration did not statistically influence the incidence of anti-TNT antibody after TNT radioimmunotherapy in lung cancer patients.