Preliminary identification of a tumor-associated glycoprotein in bilharzial bladder cancer urine.

A tumor-associated antigen was preliminarily identified in urine from bilharzial (squamous-cell carcinoma) bladder cancer patients. Monospecific rabbit antisera were made by immunization with concentrated bladder cancer urine and exhaustive absorption with insoluble normal human serum and urine. The urine tumor-associated antigen was identical to an antigen from 3M KCl bladder tumor extract by immunodiffusion. The antigen in urine was found in nine of 10 bladder cancer patients and was absent from normal urine and serum by immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis. The antigen was a concanavalin-A-binding glycoprotein which was anodal on immunoelectrophoresis. It was stable up to 2 years at -20 degrees C and did not cross-react with carcinoembryonic antigen or with Schistosoma haematobium antigens.