Comparative analysis of the surface antigens of transplantable melanomas in hamsters. II. Examination of serologic reactivity of sera with isolated melanocytes by the cross-reaction and absorption test.

The reactivity of sera of hamsters bearing melanotic and amelanotic melanoma with isolated melanocytes was evaluated using immunoadherence test and cross-reactions. Besides, the ability of neoplastic melanocytes to absorption of antibodies from these sera, was tested. The reactivity of cells of both melanomas with serum of hamsters bearing the original type--melanotic melanoma--appeared the same and twice as high in amelanotic cells with serum of animals bearing amelanotic melanoma. This suggests that in the course of spontaneous alteration, the new form--amelanotic, does not lose the original antigens but acquires new ones, not present on the melanotic cells. The above findings were confirmed by the absorption test.