Carcinoembryonic antigen‐like substances of human bile. Isolation and partial characterization

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Abstract
Three species of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)‐like macromolecules, called the biliary glycoprotein I, II and III (BGP I, II and III) were identified in human bile. BGP I was found in normal gall‐bladder bile and hepatic bile but not in bile subjected to inflammation (“white bile”). It was immunologically related to CEA and NGP (the “normal CEA‐like glycoprotein”. Synonyms: NCA, CCEA‐2, etc.). BGP I differed immunologically from CEA in that it lacked the tumor‐associated determinants of CEA. It was different from NGP (and CEA) in that it contained BGP I specific determinants as revealed by anti‐BGP I antibodies. In bile from gallbladders with obstructed outlet and subjected to cholecystitis, a non‐malignant inflammatory process, BGP I was replaced by BGP II and BGP III. Immunologically and physicochemically, BGP II and BGP III appeared to be closely similar to NGP and CEA, respectively.