Release of β2-Microglobulin by Human Tumors Grown in Nude Mice

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Abstract
Human tumors implanted subcutaneously into athmic mice produced human β2-microglobulin which was readily identified and quantified in mouse plasma. Implanted solid tumors of the lines Clouser, SW480, HEp-2, Capan-1, and HT-29 released amounts of β2-microglobulin directly related to tumor mass. The extractable β2-microglobulin per gram of tumor was constant for each cell line, but there was a 100-fold variation between the lines. In general, the plasma level of β2-microglobulin correlated with the amount of free β2-microglobulin extracted from each tumor. From these observations it can be concluded that the variability observed in the circulating levels of β2-microglobulin among cancer patients is related to the β2-microglobulin content of the tumor and the total tumor mass.