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Mushroom consumption might impact anti-melanoma immunity
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Consuming mushrooms that contain tyrosinase and melanin antigens could influence a humoral anti-melanoma immune response, according to a study.
Researchers studied 63 patients with melanoma, including 36 with metastasized disease; 19 with vitiligo; and 41 healthy volunteers who used mushroom tyrosinase and synthetic melanin as antigens.
Compared with controls, the melanoma and vitiligo cohorts showed lower levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) M (P<.0000004 and P<.04, respectively) in ELISA tests. There was no significant difference in IgA anti-melanin autobody levels in patients with melanoma or vitiligo vs. controls. Enhanced concentrations of anti-melanin IgA antibodies, however, were seen in melanoma patients whose disease had metastasized. Fc alpha-receptor 1 (CD89) cells were significantly greater in patients with melanoma compared with controls (P<.002) and the vitiligo group (P<.008), indicating that IgA-dependent cellular cytotoxicity is unimportant for the immune action against melanoma and might be included in some immune suppression.
IgG autoantibodies to antigen levels in melanoma patients were not significantly lower than controls. Percentage of Fc gamma RIII, (CD16) positive immunocompetent cells significantly decreased in patients with melanoma compared with healthy and vitiligo controls (P<.007 and P<.003, respectively). Natural killer cells (CD16+ CD56+) in the melanoma group were significantly lower than controls.
Researchers reported a control participant with the greatest anti-melanin IgM level consumed about 100 g mushrooms semiweekly. Also a healthy participant who ate about 100 g mushrooms semimonthly and took 4 mg astaxanthin daily showed the highest anti-melanin IgG level.
The findings “pointed to the low probability for anti-melanoma IgG-mediated, antibody-mediated cellular cytotoxicity and NK cytotoxicity,” the researchers said. The ratio of percentages of granulocytes and lymphocytes was statistically higher in the melanoma cohort compared with the healthy and vitiligo groups (P<.0007 and P<.05, respectively).
“Autoantibodies to tyrosinase and to melanin, which are found even in healthy people, [indicate] that consumption of edible mushrooms that carry the antigen tyrosinase and melanin could influence the humoral anti-melanoma immune response,” the researchers said. “Levels of different immunoglobulin classes of anti-melanin and anti-tyrosinase antibodies varied depending on the presence and stage of studied diseases.”
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