Similarities and differences of specific antigens of cancer in man

Abstract

In the course of tmmtm, ologic studies on malIsnant tumors sufficient facts have been collected to suggest ~eir ;tactical application for the diaznosls, prophylaxis and therapy of cancer. Of particular significance L,t ~,hls connect.Ion is ~e question of similarity or difference of antigens determining the speclflctt 7 of cancerous t~mors In m~n; this question has not, however, up to now received a definitive answer, V. V. Gorodtlova and L. V. 3hershulskaya [2], u.qng the method of anaphylaxts with desensitization, found ~:~at cancerous tumor, In man with different localization (stomach, liver, breast, uterus, ovaries) c~ntalned both specific antigens common to all the tumors and separate components :peclflc for each particular tumor, Similar results s, ere also obtained by V. A. Kore,-~evskaya [3] ~'ho investigated spectftc antigens from 11 vasiedes of maHg.~.ant brain tumors of neuroectodermal and mentngo-vasculat type. As this author notes, the antl~,erttc similarity of the tt~.'~ots studied has. as a rule ' greater coast,racy ~aa their differences.The work of V. V. Gorodtlova and V. B. Ftefman [1] established that the .r anti~en characteristics of tumors are not limited by d~e species of the host-cartier of the tumor, but extends to ~amots in animals of other species. These authors found antigenic slmllarlty between cancerous breast tumors of man arid mouse. In addison to eae similar cemponents detected In the cancerous tissues of man and mice dtsslm|lat components were at.co found In these tissues.Other data were obtained by A. K.Saakov[T} who used ab~tbedantt-tumor sera and found o~;ly one specific antigen common to caace~ of ~e uterus, cancer of the stomach and cancer of the lung In man.Analogous results were obtained by I. Makarl and M, Huch [9], using the Schultz-Dale reactlon (anaphylaxls with desensltizatic~n on lsolated organs of the guinea pig). In their studies on sera from pauent, the authors found a soluble antigen common to all forms of cancer, independent of its type or site of origin.In contradistinction to the Investigations described above, we [4] found, using anti-tumor sera freed by absorption from antibodies to normal organs, that no stngle antigen specific for all tumors in man exl~u. Each of the three cancerous tumors studied by us contained Its particular specifie an~gen which was absent In the other two. This material nattually could not ire considered adequate fo~ Judging to what extent the observed fact could be applied to other tumors or for answering the quest}on whether each tumor w~s characterized by specific properties particula~ to It alone ot wheOer ttu ,ors could possess similar an~e.-.~. Fur'.her work v,a~ needed clarify the~e problems; the results are presented In the present commurdcatlon.The material for the present tnve=ti~ation was formed by 45 cancerous ttunoss In man, of different localization and structure; moreover, the patients Ix longed to different blood g~oups. Comparative studies wese made on the antigenic properties of tumors of the stomach, breast, lung, ova...

Demonstration of Tumor-Specific Antigens in Human Colonic Carcinomata by Immunological Tolerance and Absorption Techniques

“…Tumor-specific antibodies were demonstrated by the techniques of agar gel diffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, passive cutaneous anaphylaxis, and hemagglutination in antitumor antisera which had been absorbed with normal colonic tissue components and pooled human plasma. Other investigators using either the absorption technique (9,10,36) or other methods (8,(37)(38)(39)(40)(41) have obtained results essentially similar to those reported here. However, in a critical evaluation of these and related studies, Southam (42) has pointed out that the results must be interpreted with caution "because an adequate normal control tissue is seldom obtainable."…”

“…One of the techniques frequently employed in this type of investigation is the absorption of antitumor antiserum with normal tissue in order to remove antinormal components of the antiserum (1,9,10). Any residual antibody activity in the absorbed antiserum which is directed against tumor material is then considered to be tumorspecific.…”