Humoral immune response to p21WAF1/CIP1 in tumor patients, non-tumorous patients and healthy blood donors

We performed a serological analysis for anti-p21WAF1/CIP1 antibodies in sera of patients with different gynecological diseases such as breast cancer, ovarian carcinoma, cervix carcinoma and benign gynecological tissue alterations and from healthy blood donors using the immunoblotting technique with recombinant p21WAF1/CIP1 as antigen as well as a newly designed ELISA. We detected antibodies specific for p21WAF1/CIP1 in sera derived from cancer patients, as well as from patients with non-malignant diseases and from healthy blood donors. Thus, the presence of antibodies against p21WAF1/CIP1 is not a marker for malignancies. Some of the sera with antibodies against p21WAF1/CIP1 also contained antibodies against the oncoprotein mdm2, and/or the growth suppressor gene product p53. The presence of antibodies against p53 correlates with a malignant disease.