Two pregnancy-specific proteins were detected by immunoelectrophoresis using antisera developed to homogenates of bovine extraembryonic membranes. Antisera also reacted to extracts of endometrium from pregnant cows and extraembryonic fluids. However, antisera did not react with a preparation presumed to be bovine placental lactogen, fetuin, extracts of various somatic tissues from pregnant cows or extracts of endometrium from nonpregnant cows. One of the proteins had an estimated molecular weight of 65,000-70,000, an isoelectric point of 4.6-4.8 and yielded a reaction of identity with bovine alpha 1-fetoprotein by immunodiffusion. The second protein yielded a reaction of identity with bovine alpha 1-fetoprotein by immunodiffusion. The second protein had no immunological cross-reactivity with the known proteins or organ extracts which were tested. The molecular weight and isoelectric point was 47,000-53,000 and 4.0-4.4, respectively. These data demonstrate the presence of at least 2 pregnancy-specific proteins in cattle.

Prostate cancer (CaP) patients with disseminated disease often suffer from severe cachexia, which contributes to mortality in advanced cancer. Human cachexia-associated protein (HCAP) was recently identified from a breast cancer library based on the available 20-amino acid sequence of proteolysis-inducing factor (PIF), which is a highly active cachectic factor isolated from mouse colon adenocarcinoma MAC16. Herein, we investigated the expression of HCAP in CaP and its potential involvement in CaP-associated cachexia. HCAP mRNA was detected in CaP cell lines, in primary CaP tissues and in its osseous metastases. In situ hybridization showed HCAP mRNA to be localized only in the epithelial cells in CaP tissues, in the metastatic foci in bone, liver and lymph node, but not in the stromal cells or in normal prostate tissues. HCAP protein was detected in 9 of 14 CaP metastases but not in normal prostate tissues from cadaveric donors or patients with organ-confined tumors. Our Western blot analysis revealed that HCAP was present in 9 of 19 urine specimens from cachectic CaP patients but not in 19 urine samples of noncachectic patients. HCAP mRNA and protein were also detected in LuCaP 35 and PC-3M xenografts from our cachectic animal models. Our results demonstrated that human CaP cells express HCAP and the expression of HCAP is associated with the progression of CaP and the development of CaP cachexia.

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