Biochemical and immunohistochemical studies on carcinoembryonic antigen of ovarian mucinous and serous tumors.
The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the cyst fluid of ovarian mucinous and serous tumors was investigated. The molecular weight and antigenicity of the CEA from both ovarian tumors were very similar to those of colon cancer CEA as determined by SDS electrophoresis and double immunodiffusion on agar plates. In the cyst fluid of ovarian mucinous tumors, the amount of CEA was generally high and CEA of molecular weight (MW) 200,000 was increased. In contrast, in the cyst fluid of ovarian serous tumors, the CEA amount was low and CEA variants of MW 370,000 and 180,000 were present in addition to the main CEA of MW 200,000. Immunohistochemically, CEA was stained mainly in the intestinal type epithelium of ovarian mucinous tumors, and the CEA revealed a tendency to be stained more frequently and strongly with increasing degree of tumor malignancy. Thus, ovarian mucinous tumors (especially the intestinal type epithelium) produced large amounts of CEA which closely resembled colon cancer CEA, whereas ovarian serous tumors produced small amounts of CEA, including some CEA variants. In the study of ovarian epithelial tumors, CEA may be useful as a marker for the malignant transformation of ovarian mucinous tumors.
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D003536:Cystadenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology*; D003537:Cystadenoma / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen