ABSTRACT
The sera of 25 patients suffering from advanced stages [T3 and T4] of carcinoma of the bilharzial urinary bladder were examined for serum proteins and immunoglobulin levels. In addition, sera of 16 bilharzial cystitis patients and of 16 normal healthy individuals were included in the study. While there was a reduction in the albumin level and an increase in alpha-1, alpha-2, and gamma globulin levels in the sera of the 25 cancer patients, the beta globulins remained apparently unchanged and the alpha-2/beta ratio had therefore inverted values [1.5] as compared to normal controls [0.9]. A definite increase in IgG, IgA, IgM and IgE fractions in bilharzial bladder cancer patients was found. The immunoglobulin levels were higher in patients with T3 than with T4 lesions. On the other hand, there was a marked decrease in the non-immunoglobulin component[s] in sera of the cancer patients. This decrease was noted more in patients with T4 than in those with T3 lesions. Serum proteins and immunoglobulins in the bilharzial cystitis patients had intermediate values more or less midway between the bladder cancer patients and the normal controls