Measurement of Tennessee antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, tissue polypeptide antigen and alpha-feto-protein in body fluids associated with pregnancy.

The aim of this study was to establish if the oncofetal antigens alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), tissue-polypeptide antigen (TPA), and Tennessee antigen (TAG) were present in body fluids associated with pregnancy. There antigens were measured in amniotic fluid, cord blood, and semen. In contrast to AFP, CEA, and TPA, which were found in high concentration in amniotic fluid, the TAG concentration was lower than observed in serum. In cord blood, AFP was elevated in all samples examined. CEA was elevated in 35% of the samples. TAG was normal in all 20 samples studied. Examination of semen demonstrated that TPA, CEA, and TAG were increased over normal serum values; AFP was not increased over normal serum values in the 103 samples of semen studied. The lack of increased concentrations of TAG in amniotic fluid, cord blood and serum of pregnant women provides further evidence that this antigen is distinct from CEA, AFP or TPA. The lack of AFP in semen is interesting, and requires further investigation.