Immunochemical studies on carcinoembryonic antigen-reactive glycoproteins from carcinomas of the colon and breast separated by concanavalin A affinity chromatography.

Analysis of carcinoembryonic antigen (CE)-reactive glycoproteins from liver metastasis of primary colon and breast tumors and from primary breast tumors has been carried out by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A (Con A)-Sepharose. Three CEA-reactive glycoproteins from colon tumors (liver metastasis) with different binding capacity to Con A have been separated and further purified by gel filtration. Of the 3 CEA-reactive glycoproteins, 1 of them did not bind to Con A. Both Con A-binding and nonbinding CEA-reactive glycoproteins were immunologically indistinguishable when tested with a reference goat anti-CEA (ACE, 67-70; Dr. C.W. Todd and Dr. M.L. Egan), as well as with a variety of rabbit anti-CEA and anti-CEA (nonbinding) prepared in this laboratory. Carbohydrate analysis showed that mannose content of different purified CEA preparations or nonbinding CEA did not differ appreciably. N-Acetylglucosamine content of purified CEA preparations, however, varied considerably, suggesting that this sugar may impart the specificity of binding of CEA to Con A. The purified CEA preparations differed in their ability to inhibit the binding of 125l-labeled CEA to goat anti-CEA. One of the purified CEA preparations had 3- to 8-fold greater inhibitory capacity when compared to other preparations and shared a partial identity with a glycoprotein present in the extracts of fetal colon. The glycoprotein extracts of primary breast tumors did not contain a CEA that was immunologically identical to CEA present in colon tumors, whereas the liver metastasis of primary breast tumors showed several CEA-reactive glycoproteins as judged by radioimmunoassay. However, these CEA-reactive glycoproteins did not have any antigenic relationship with CEA from colon tumors when tested by double diffusion and immunoelectrophoresis. In conclusion, when Con A affinity chromatography of tumor glycoproteins is carried out under defined conditions and with the use of appropriate antisera, it is possible to delineate the presence or absence of CEA in tumors of nonentodermal origin.