Ricinus communis agglutinin II-reactive glycoproteins from the ascites of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and their use in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Ricinus communis agglutinin II-reactive glycoproteins from the ascites of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were prepared using lectin affinity chromatography. Normal serum- and cirrhotic ascites-components were removed by columns with immobilized antibodies against them. Ricinus communis agglutinin II-reactive glycoproteins thus obtained were supposed to be hepatocellular carcinoma-associated and less than 0.1% of the protein in the starting material. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of these glycoproteins revealed more than 10 major polypeptides with molecular weights ranging from 20K to 200K daltons. The rabbit antiserum raised against them reacted with at least three components of 45, 52 and 55K daltons. The serum level of this antibody-reactive glycoproteins was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. It was elevated in 91% of cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 70% of cases of other gastrointestinal carcinoma, 88% of cases of liver cirrhosis, 55% of cases of chronic hepatitis, and 25% of cases of acute hepatitis. The mean value of hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly greater than those of other groups. These results suggest that some of Ricinus communis agglutinin II-reactive glycoproteins in hepatocellular carcinoma patients may be cancer-associated glycoproteins and that their serum levels are increased in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.