Autologous antibodies eluted from membrane fragments in human ovarian epithelial neoplastic effusions. II. Tissue specificity and reactivity.
Cyst and ascitic fluids from patients with ovarian epithelial neoplasms were studied to determine whether they contained immunoglobulins with antitumor activity. The results demonstrated the presence of autologous antibodies bound to the cellular membrane fragments obtained from human ovarian neoplastic effusions. Membrane fragments were prepared from more than 60 samples of human ovarian effusions, and the amounts of membrane-bound IgG and IgA were determined. Six fluids obtained from patients with malignant ovarian neoplasms were selected for large-scale preparation of IgG, on the basis of the quantity of fluid available (greater than 200 ml) and amount of membrane-bound IgG (greater than 400 ng/ml) determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. The antibodies were strongly reactive with cell-surface antigens on 4 different human ovarian cell lines, 4 surgical specimens of human ovarian adenocarcinoma, and 2 human ovarian tumors grown in athymic BALB/c mice, as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence. The antibodies did not react, or reacted only weakly, with tissue preparations from 4 normal human ovaries, other nonovarian normal or neoplastic tissues, and nonovarian human cell lines. These studies indicate that patients with ovarian cancer have the capability to recognize and form antibodies against autologous ovarian tumor-associated antigens.
D000818:Animals; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G