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Evidence for Common and Distinct Determinants of Colon Carcinoembryonic Antigen, Colon Carcinoma Antigen-III, and Molecules with Carcinoembryonic Antigen Activity Isolated from Breast and Ovarian Cancer¹

Genetics Unit, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia [S. E. C., N. L. W., P. C., S. H., J. J. M.], and Department of Medicine, University of California, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California [N. L. W., J. V. W., P. C., H. H. F.]

This study was designed to answer the question, do molecules with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) activity from colon, breast, and ovarian cancer differ? Extracts of two breast and three ovarian cancers with CEA activity were compared to three colon cancer CEA preparations and to the related antigen, colon carcinoma antigen-III, in terms of lectin- and antiserum-binding properties. With the use of Farr-type radioimmunoassays with the lectins, concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin, the iodinated colon CEA and CEA-like preparations from breast and ovarian cancer all showed distinctly different patterns of binding. Specificity of binding was confirmed by inhibition studies with the relevant monosaccharides. Similarly, with antisera prepared against colon CEA, colon carcinoma antigen-III, or breast CEA, it was shown that, although all preparations shared some antigens, unique antigenic determinants were also present on all preparations. These data are consistent with the concept of a series of closely related CEA and CEA-like molecules with distinct characteristics for each tissue source of CEA.

¹ This work was in part supported by grants from the Bushels Trust, Australia; The Wellcome Foundation, U. K.; the National Health and Medical Research Council, Canberra, Australia; and the American Cancer Society, Grants 630 and Im161. This is Publication 2223 of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.

² Postdoctoral research fellow of the Division of Radiation Oncology, University of California. To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at University of California, Division of Radiation Oncology, 330 Moffitt Hospital, San Francisco, Calif. 94143.

³ Recipient of a fellowship from the Eleanor Roosevelt Foundation during part of the performance of this work. Present address: Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, N. M. 87131.

⁴ Present address: Kolling Institute for Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.

⁵ Present address: Frederick Cancer Research Center, Frederick, Md. 21701.

⁶ Present address: Department of Basic and Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S. C. 29401.

Received 5/21/76. Accepted 6/ 2/77.