Antigenic sites in carcinoembryonic antigen

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 49; no. 17; pp. 4852 - 4858
• Main Authors: HAMMARSTROM, S, SHIVELY, J. E, SEGUIN, P, DARBOURET, B, DEGORCE, F, SERTOUR, J, JOLU, J. P, FUKS, A, KALTHOFF, H, SCHMIEGEL, W, ARNDT, R, KLOPPEL, G, PAXTON, R. J, VON KLEIST, S, GRUNERT, F, SCHWARZ, K, MATSUOKA, Y, KUROKI, M, BEATTY, B. G, LARSSON, A, GHOSH, R, BORMER, O, BUCHEGGER, F, MACH, J.-P, BURTIN, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01-09-1989
• Subjects: Antibodies, Monoclonal; Binding, Competitive; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoembryonic Antigen - immunology; Epitopes - immunology; Host-tumor relations. Immunology. Biological markers; Humans; Immunologic Techniques; Medical sciences; Software; Tumors; Human; Carcinoembryonic antigen; Tumor associated antigen; Antigenic determinant; Immunological investigation; Tumor; Tumoral marker; Monoclonal antibody
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445

The epitope reactivities of 52 well-characterized monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against carcinoembryonic antigen from 11 different research groups were studied using competitive solid-phase immunoassays. About 60% of all possible combinations of Mabs as inhibitors and as the primary binding antibody were investigated. The inhibition data were analyzed by a specially developed computer program "EPITOPES" which measures concordance and discordance in inhibition patterns between Mabs. The analysis showed that 43 of the 52 Mabs (83%) could be classified into one of five essentially noninteracting epitope groups (GOLD 1-5) containing between four and 15 Mabs each. The epitopes recognized by the Mabs belonging to groups 1 to 5 were peptide in nature. With one or two possible exceptions non-classifiable Mabs were either directed against carbohydrate epitopes (4 Mabs) or were inactive in the tests used. Within epitope groups GOLD 1, 4, and 5 two partially overlapping subgroups were distinguished. Mabs with a high degree of carcinoembryonic antigen specificity generally belonged to epitope groups GOLD 1 and 3.