The Polysaccharide Behaviour of Cancer Antigens

Abstract

In search of a specific diagnostic serological test in cancer we have looked for a high degree of positive results in known cancer cases and a high degree of negative results in non-cancerous disease. Dunn and Greenhouse (1951) tentatively set limits of 90% accuracy in cases of cancer and 95% accuracy for patients with non-cancerous disease. Makari (1955) described the use of the Schultz-Dale test for the detection of carcinoma antigen in the serum of patients with carcinoma. It was shown that, when the carcinoma antigen used for immunization of guinea-pigs was the sediment obtained between 3,200 and 4,000 r.p.m., this test would conform to the criteria set up by Dunn and Greenhouse-that is, it was positive in 96.8% of proved carcinoma cases and negative in 95.2% of non-cancerous lesions. Recently Burrows (1958) was able to confirm our results in a large series of 508 patients, and recorded an accuracy of 96.7% in proved carcinoma cases and of 96.7% in non-cancerous lesions. This establishes the

The Intradermal Cancer Test (Ict)*

“…Tumor polysaccharidal substances (TPS) are prepared from mitochondrial fractions of cancerous tissues and are subjected to vigorous physical and chemical treatments (60). Three types of TPS's are prepared: one from carcinoma of the lung, TPS‐I; one from sarcoma, TPS‐II; and one from lymphoma, TPS‐III.…”

The Relationship of Fever to Tumour Necrosis in the Rat

“…In fact, this diminished febrile response in normal animals on the second day of injection is the characteristic response to bacterial endotoxins or to tissue polysaccharides The methods employed by Landy and Shear (see Shear and Perrault, 1953) for extraction of polysaccharide fronm tissues are so drastic that it is difficult to imagine conmparable chemical changes proceeding in vivo. Nevertheless, the work of Burrows (1958) and of Makari (1958) would support the view that in vivo liberation of polysaccharide occurs. Burrows suggests that the antigenic activity of serum from patients with carcinoma is caused by a polypeptide probably closely linked to a polysaccharide Makari has emphasised that the antigenic component of this complex is the polysaccharide.…”

Some Recent Studies in the Immunology of Cancer. I. Detection of Methyl‐cholanthrene‐like Substance by the Schultz‐dale Method in the Sera of Patients With Tumors and in Some Apparently Healthy Persons

“…Recently Makari (9) described the polysaccharide nature of cancer antigens. One hypothesis is that M.C., the carcinogenic hydrocarbon, can be directly converted into the specific polysaccharide hapten of the carcinoma supernatant by the action of certain enzymes through a process of polymerization, and that this polysaccharide hapten may then attach itself to a protein carrier to become a full antigen analogous to the carcinoma‐supernatant antigen.…”