Enterobacterial common antigen in the urine from children with cancer.

An inhibition of immunohemolysis assay was used to detect the enterobacterial common antigen (ECA) in urine samples from 40 children with cancer. Seven patients were excluded because bacterial contamination of urine. Thirty of the remaining 33 sterile samples gave an ECA-positive reaction. Specimens from 30 healthy control were negative. These findings may reflect a vascular dissemination and glomerular filtration of gram-negative lipopolysaccharide residues as a consequence of the malignancy. Detection of ECA in urine may be an useful tool for investigating the evolution of neoplastic diseases in the absence of urinary tract infections.