Presence of anti-gamma-FA-reactive antigens in spontaneous and carcinogen-induced malignancies of experimental animals.

Immunochemical analysis of various tumors, representing 12 different tissue sites of origin, revealed a gamma-fetal antigen(gamma-FA)-like component in 17 of 23 malignant neoplasms of the mouse. This antigen was identified in extracts of spontaneous and carcinogen-induced murine tumors as well as in extracts of hepatic tumors initiated in the rat with diethylnitrosamine. The occurrence of gamma-FA in 75% of the malignant tumors examined and its presence in the sera of rodents bearing transplanted and primary cancers suggests an associative relationship of potential diagnostic value. This possibility is supported by the observation that immunoprecipitable gamma-FA appeared in the sera of hepatocarcinogen-treated rats several weeks prior to the detection of alpha-fetoprotein.