IMMUNOLOGICAL HETEROGENEITY OF CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN - IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN DETERMINANTS IN COLONIC TUMORS WITH MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (2) , 693-701
Abstract
The immunoperoxidase localization of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) determinants was studied in [human] colonic adenocarcinomas using 4 murine monoclonal antibodies to CEA in a bridged avidin:biotin technique. One of the monoclonal antibodies, NP-1, recognizes a CEA epitope shared with the nonspecific cross-reacting antigen and meconium antigen. Two others, NP-2 and NP-3, discriminate 2 separate CEA epitopes shared with meconium antigen only, whereas NP-4 reacts with a unique determinant expressed on a subpopulation of CEA molecules. The monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal goat antisera against CEA and nonspecific cross-reacting antigen stained columnar epithelial cells in morphologically normal mucosa. Neutrophils were stained by only the NP-1 monoclonal antibody and goat anti-nonspecific cross-reacting antigen antiserum. All moderately differentiated colorectal adenocarcinomas and most of their nodal and liver metastases reacted with the goat antisera and cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies. Thirty percent of these primary tumors and most of the nodal and/or liver metastases from 6 patients with NP-4-positive primary tumors failed to stain with NP-4. The results suggest heterogeneity in the expression of a CEA variant and/or determinant recognized by the NP-4 monoclonal antibody that perhaps identifies a subgroup of colonic cancers which differ in their functional differentiation.

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