Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1981 Jun;32(3):1211–1215. doi: 10.1128/iai.32.3.1211-1215.1981

Tumor-associated bacteria capable of producing a human choriogonadotropin-like substance.

B T Backus, L F Affronti
PMCID: PMC351581  PMID: 7019090

Abstract

Aerobic microorganisms were isolated and identified from 9 of 10 malignant tissues aseptically obtained from surgical patients. The organisms isolated are species commonly associated with the flora of the human body. When these cancer-associated organisms were grown in Trypticase soy broth (BBL Microbiology Systems), a protein substance was isolated from the culture filtrates by acetone precipitation. The acetone precipitates of 12 of 14 organisms tested were positive when assayed by radioimmunoassay for the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). All but one of the bacterial isolates from the malignancies were capable of producing the hCG-like substance, but in varying quantities. Control organisms (not isolated from a malignancy) and uninoculated Trypticase soy broth were either completely negative in the radioimmunoassay for beta hCG or had levels of beta hCG near the limit of the sensitivity of the method. These results suggest the possibility that bacteria-tumor relationships do exist and are in agreement with the findings of other workers. Investigation of these relationships may have important and provocative implications in the study of neoplastic diseases.

Full text

PDF
1211

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Acevedo H. F., Slifkin M., Pouchet-Melvin G. R., Campbell-Acevedo E. A. Choriogonadotropin-like antigen in an anaerobic bacterium, Eubacterium lentum, isolated from a rectal tumor. Infect Immun. 1979 Jun;24(3):920–924. doi: 10.1128/iai.24.3.920-924.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Acevedo H. F., Slifkin M., Pouchet G. R., Pardo M. Immunohistochemical localization of a choriogonadotropin-like protein in bacteria isolated from cancer patients. Cancer. 1978 Apr;41(4):1217–1229. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197804)41:4<1217::aid-cncr2820410401>3.0.co;2-a. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Braunstein G. D., Vaitukaitis J. L., Carbone P. P., Ross G. T. Ectopic production of human chorionic gonadotrophin by neoplasms. Ann Intern Med. 1973 Jan;78(1):39–45. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-78-1-39. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cohen H., Strampp A. Bacterial synthesis of substance similar to human chorionic gonadotrophin. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1976 Jul;152(3):408–410. doi: 10.3181/00379727-152-39407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Diller I. C. Tumor incidence in ICR/albino and C57/B16JNIcr male mice injected with organisms cultured from mouse malignant tissue. Growth. 1974 Dec;38(4):507–517. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Livingston V. W., Livingston A. M. Some cultural, immunological, and biochemical properties of Progenitor cryptocides. Trans N Y Acad Sci. 1974 Jun;36(6):569–582. doi: 10.1111/j.2164-0947.1974.tb01602.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Maruo T., Cohen H., Segal S. J., Koide S. S. Production of choriogonadotropin-like factor by a microorganism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Dec;76(12):6622–6626. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.12.6622. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Maruo T., Segal S. J., Koide S. S. Studies on the apparent human chorionic gonadotropin-like factor in the crab Ovalipes ocellatus. Endocrinology. 1979 Apr;104(4):932–939. doi: 10.1210/endo-104-4-932. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Seibert F. B., Davis R. L. Delay in tumor development induced with a bacterial vaccine. J Reticuloendothel Soc. 1977 Apr;21(4):279–282. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Seibert F. B., Feldmann F. M., Davis R. L., Richmond I. S. Morphological, biological, and immunological studies on isolates form tumors and leukemic bloods. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1970 Oct 30;174(2):690–728. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1970.tb45591.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Seibert F. B., Yeomans F., Baker J. A., Davis R. L., Diller I. C. Bacteria in tumors. Trans N Y Acad Sci. 1972 Jun;34(6):504–533. doi: 10.1111/j.2164-0947.1972.tb02705.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Slifkin M., Pardo M., Pouchet-Melvin G. R., Acevedo H. F. Immuno-electron microscopic localization of a choriogonadotropin-like antigen in cancer-associated bacteria. Oncology. 1979;36(5):208–210. doi: 10.1159/000225343. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Smith E. F., Townsend C. O. A PLANT-TUMOR OF BACTERIAL ORIGIN. Science. 1907 Apr 26;25(643):671–673. doi: 10.1126/science.25.643.671. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Vaitukaitis J. L., Ebersole E. R. Evidence for altered synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin in gestational trophoblastic tumors. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1976 Jun;42(6):1048–1055. doi: 10.1210/jcem-42-6-1048. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Vaitukaitis J. L. Immunologic and physical characterization of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secreted by tumors. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1973 Oct;37(4):505–514. doi: 10.1210/jcem-37-4-505. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Van Larebeke N., Engler G., Holsters M., Van den Elsacker S., Zaenen I., Schilperoort R. A., Schell J. Large plasmid in Agrobacterium tumefaciens essential for crown gall-inducing ability. Nature. 1974 Nov 8;252(5479):169–170. doi: 10.1038/252169a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Zaenen I., Van Larebeke N., Van Montagu M., Schell J. Supercoiled circular DNA in crown-gall inducing Agrobacterium strains. J Mol Biol. 1974 Jun 15;86(1):109–127. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(74)80011-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES