Blood group specificity of pancreatic tumor mucin.

N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP)-induced pancreatic adenocarcinomas in Syrian hamsters produce considerable amounts of mucin. The mucin is immunogenic in rabbits and is predominately of A blood group antigenic specificity, as determined by immunodiffusion in agar gel. Indirect immunofluorescence studies with human anti-A typing sera demonstrated bright tumor-mucin fluorescence. The mucin produced by transplantable pancreatic tumors is also of A blood group specificity. Eppley colony Syrian hamsters, randomly examined, demonstrated red cells of blood group O. They lacked the anti-A and anti-B isoagglutinins in their serum. It is emphasized that the antigenic specificity of tumor-mucin in induced pancreatic cancer might be useful for early clinical detection, and perhaps therapy, of the disease.