An antigen associated with mesenchyme in human tumours that cross-reacts with brain glycoprotein

Abstract

Anti-NSA3 antiserum was found to react with many kinds of benign and malignant tumours, as well as foetal skin and intestinal extracts. The corresponding antigens isolated from nervous tissue, benign breast adenoma, and a fibrosarcoma were compared. Immunoprecipitation cannot distinguish between these antigens, and their amino-acid contents were comparable. However, immuno-absorption identified an antigenic determinant that was confined to nervous tissue. Indirect immunofluorescence further confirmed the validity of the concept of a nervous form vs a mesenchymal form of the antigen. Furthermore, immunofluorescence enabled the localization of the antigen found in non-nervous tissue to mesenchyme (mesenchyme-associated antigen: MAA), whether the mesenchymal tissue be normal (foetal organs), tumoral (fibrosarcoma) or reactional (connective-tissue stroma of epithelial tumours). Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6

Antigens of the basement membrane and the peritumoral stroma in human colonic adenocarcinomas: An immunofluorescence study

“…We were able to confirm the data first reported by Delpech et al (1979) on the appearance of a new component, later to be called hyaluronectin (Delpech and Halavent, 1981) in the peritumoral stroma. However, we had only 12 positive results Out of 15 colonic tumors using antihyaluronectin serum.…”

Immunofluorescence Study of the Antigens of the Basement Membrane and the Peritumoral Stroma in Human Colonic Adenocarcinomas

“…Other collagens are also present in this connective tissue, especially type I and type I11 (Kefalides, 1975). Another component, known as hyaluronectin, due to its specific affinity for hyaluronic acid (Delpech et al, 1979;Delpech and Halavent, 1981) is detected in the connective tissue of the fetus and that surrounding the tumors of all organs. Hyaluronectin is, however, absent from all normal adult tissues, except for brain and kidney papillae.…”

Immunochemical Characterization of the Hyaluronic Acid‐Hyaluronectin Interaction

“…38, No. 4, 1982 inhibition (Delpech et al, 1979), cannot be quantitated by this technique if its exact HA content is unknown unless the preparation is treated with hyaluronidase or diffusion is allowed to continue for 3 weeks. Since the control diameter value can be reached within 3 weeks, the reduction is not due to a masking of antigenic sites but is only a consequence of the formation of bigger complexes that are less diffusible, a classic characteristic of gel diffusion (Allison, 1971).…”

“…This invisibility is due to modification of the refringence of immune precipitates by HA, a highly hygroscopic component that forms transparent viscous solutions and is a major component of the vitreous humor of the eye (Ham, 1974). Occasionally we observed a hyaline line of precipitation with this antigen extracted from brain tumors or from tumors of other organs (Delpech et al, 1979;Girard et al, 1980). It is likely that this is due to the presence of HA-rich complexes, similar to those we prepared by mixing HN and HA with an excess amount of the latter.…”