Specificity of a tumor marker (CA54/61) and its individual epitopes recognized by monoclonal antibodies, MA54 and MA61, in human tumor patients.

The specificity of a tumor marker (CA54/61) and its individual epitopes (CA54 and CA61) recognized by monoclonal antibodies (MA54 and MA61) and expressed by the same tumor marker were studied. Serum levels of CA54 and CA61 were compared with that of CA54/61. In lung adenocarcinoma and ovarian carcinoma, the positive rates of CA61 (42% and 68%) were higher than those of CA54 (32% and 32%) and similar to those of CA54/61 (45% and 74%). The serum levels of CA54 and CA61 showed a significant correlation (r = 0.78), but 22% of tested sera were positive for CA54 and negative for CA61 or negative for CA54 and positive for CA61. It was demonstrated that the tumor specificity between CA54 and CA61 was not same and that the tumor specificity of CA54/61 was similar to that of CA61 rather than CA54. Moreover, the difference in the tumor specificity between CA54 and CA61 was considered to be reflected in the difference in their epitope structure.