Anti-HLA antibodies detected in the serum of patients with gestational trophoblastic tumors (choriocarcinomas and invasive moles)

Four patients with Choriocarcinomas and nineteen patients with invasive moles were analyzed seriately for anti-HLA antibodies. One serum out of four with Choriocarcinomas and 6 sera out of 19 with invasive moles demonstrated monospecific anti-HLA antibodies and persisted as long as each patient was treated by chemotherapy. One serum which was not determined to be anti-HLA antibody was checked with the serum of one patient with choriocarcinoma. The relationship between the antibodies and tumor growth or response to chemotherapy was studied clinically, but no definite relationship was established. In the present studies, antigenicity of the trophoblastic cell itself was not established.