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Serological Reactivity in Cancer Patients to Human and Mouse Fetal Liver Cells¹

Department of Medicine [F. A. S., K. M. S.] and Pathology [S. B. C.], University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90033, and Cancer Control Agency of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 3J3 Canada [F. A. S.]

The occurrence of antibodies to human and mouse fetal liver cells has been quantitated in the sera from patients with carcinoma of breast, colon, and lung and with malignant melanoma. Also, we have demonstrated cross-reacting murine antibodies in the sera from multiparous, antifetal, and pregnant mice, which bind to mouse fetal liver cells and/or several types of human tumor cells. A comparative evaluation of these antibodies with two immunological techniques has demonstrated a greater number of positive sera from cancer patients assayed by isotopic antiglobulin (25 of 27, or 92%) than by membrane immunofluorescence (12 of 17, or 71%). In the non-cancer control group, positive reactions were found in 11 and 31% by the two techniques, respectively. The specificity of such serological reactivity has been demonstrated by adsorption with fetal liver cells. These detected antibodies are not restricted to a particular type of human neoplasm, but rather to the presence of cancer. Because of their relative capacity of discrimination between benign and malignant conditions and because the assay for their detection is relatively simple, these techniques may provide alternative methods for diagnosis or monitoring of cancer patients.

¹ This work was done in part at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif. 90033.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Cancer Control Agency of British Columbia, 2656 Heather Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 3J3.

Received 8/31/76. Accepted 11/10/77.