Collaborative study of bronchial tumour-associated antigens

Abstract

Summary.-Eleven groups of workers submitted a total of 21 bronchial tumourassociated antigen preparations and 19 antisera for comparative studies. Many of the antisera proved to be polyspecific despite absorption procedures. Most of the antigen preparations contained some material reactive towards a reference antiserum to normal human serum proteins.While it appeared that no participants were studying identical antigen-antibody reactions, several cross-reactivities were identified in the antisera. When immune reactions to CEA, AFP, NCA, ferritin, lactoferrin, human pepsin and gastricsin, and the pregnancy proteins, SP1 and SP3 were excluded by use of reference antisera and electroimmunoprecipitation methods, there remained 5 antigen-antibody reactions defining unique antigens. The clinical usefulness of any of these 5 antigens has yet to be determined.

The detection and evaluation of human tumor metastases

“…Much work has been done with conventional polyclonal antisera to define lung specific antigens, but the problems of this approach have been highlighted by a recent collaborative study of antiserum specificity (207). This is a field where monoclonal antibody technology would be of considerable benefit.…”