Heterotransplantation of an alpha-fetoprotein-producing human gallbladder carcinoma into nude mice.

An alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing human gallbladder carcinoma showing direct invasion into the liver was transplanted into BALB/c-nu/nu nude mice. Although patient serum levels of AFP and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were within normal limits, they were elevated to 1,040 ng/ml and 22.1 ng/ml, respectively, after cholecystectomy. Prominent liver metastasis was demonstrated by diagnostic imaging techniques shortly after the operation. Pathologically, the resected tumor consisted of papillotubular adenocarcinoma and the part which had invaded the liver showed a solid growth pattern with no papillo-tubular structure. The transplanted tumor showed both papillo-tubular and solid growth patterns, in which positive reactions for AFP, CEA, ferritin (FER), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), albumin (ALB) and fibrinogen (FIB) were confirmed by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. Serum levels of AFP, CEA, CA 19-9, beta 2-microglobulin (BMG) and FER were elevated in the nude mice bearing tumor transplants. Twenty-five percent of the serum AFP from nude mice with tumor transplants bound with concanavalin A (Con A), suggesting that the tumor was of gastrointestinal rather than hepatic origin.