Skip to main content
PMC home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1983 Dec;38(12):937–941. doi: 10.1136/thx.38.12.937

Biological markers in human lung carcinoma: an immunopathological study of six antigens.

H R Harach, M Skinner, A R Gibbs
PMCID: PMC459701  PMID: 6198740

Abstract

Immunohistological methods were used to investigate the presence of calcitonin, thyrotrophin, carcinoembryonic antigen, beta pregnancy specific glycoprotein, human placental lactogen, and the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotrophin in formalin fixed lung tumour tissue sections. Carcinoembryonic antigen was observed in 71% of 101 tumours studied (70%), beta 1 pregnancy specific glycoprotein in 66 of 97 tumours (68%), beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotrophin in 35 of 97 (36%), human placental lactogen in 19 of 97 (20%), calcitonin in 10 of 71 (14%), and thyrotrophin in one of 27 lung tumours studied. There appeared to be no direct association between the presence of any given marker and the presence of any other. Similarly, the association between the presence of a tumour marker and histological type was poor. This study shows that the presence of tumour markers is relatively common in human lung tumours.

Full text

PDF
937

Selected References

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

  1. Becker K. L., Nash D., Silva O. L., Snider R. H., Moore C. F. Increased serum and urinary calcitonin levels in patients with pulmonary disease. Chest. 1981 Feb;79(2):211–216. doi: 10.1378/chest.79.2.211. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Broder L. E. Hormone production by bronchogenic carcinoma: a review. Pathobiol Annu. 1979;9:205–224. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Coombes R. C., Ellison M. L., Neville A. M. Biochemical markers in bronchogenic carcinoma. Br J Dis Chest. 1978 Oct;72(4):263–287. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cooney T., Sweeney E. C., Luke D. Pulmonary carcinoid tumours: a comparative regional study. J Clin Pathol. 1979 Nov;32(11):1100–1109. doi: 10.1136/jcp.32.11.1100. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ford C. H., Stokes H. J., Newman C. E. Carcinoembryonic antigen and prognosis after radical surgery for lung cancer: immunocytochemical localization and serum levels. Br J Cancer. 1981 Aug;44(2):145–153. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1981.164. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Greenberg P. B., Martin T. J., Beck C., Burger H. G. Synthesis and release of human growth hormone from lung carcinoma in cell culture. Lancet. 1972 Feb 12;1(7746):350–352. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(72)92843-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gropp C., Havemann K., Scheuer A. Ectopic hormones in lung cancer patients at diagnosis and during therapy. Cancer. 1980 Jul 15;46(2):347–354. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19800715)46:2<347::aid-cncr2820460223>3.0.co;2-s. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Grudzinskas J. G., Coombes R. C., Ratcliffe J. G., Gordon Y. B., Powles T. J., Neville A. M., Chard T. Circulating levels of pregnancy specific beta 1 glycopretein in patients with testicular, bronchogenic and breast carcinomas. Cancer. 1980 Jan 1;45(1):102–103. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19800101)45:1<102::aid-cncr2820450118>3.0.co;2-r. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hansen M., Hansen H. H., Hirsch F. R., Arends J., Christensen J. D., Christensen J. M., Hummer L., Kühl C. Hormonal polypeptides and amine metabolites in small cell carcinoma of the lung, with special reference to stage and subtypes. Cancer. 1980 Mar 15;45(6):1432–1437. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19800315)45:6<1432::aid-cncr2820450622>3.0.co;2-z. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jasani B., Thomas D. W., Williams E. D. Use of monoclonal antihapten antibodies for immunolocalisation of tissue antigens. J Clin Pathol. 1981 Sep;34(9):1000–1002. doi: 10.1136/jcp.34.9.1000. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Katoh Y., Stoner G. D., McIntire K. R., Hill T. A., Anthony R., McDowell E. M., Trump B. F., Harris C. C. Immunologic markers of human bronchial epithelial cells in tissue sections and in culture. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1979 May;62(5):1177–1185. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McDowell E. M., Wilson T. S., Trump B. F. Atypical endocrine tumors of the lung. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1981 Jan;105(1):20–28. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Milhaud G., Calmette C., Taboulet J., Julienne A., Moukhtar M. S. Letter: Hypersecretion of calcitonin in neoplastic conditions. Lancet. 1974 Mar 16;1(7855):462–463. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)92428-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Placental proteins and their subunits as tumor markers. Ann Intern Med. 1975 Jan;82(1):71–83. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-82-1-71. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rees L. H., Ratcliffe J. G. Ectopic hormone production by non-endocrine tumours. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1974 Jul;3(3):263–299. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1974.tb01801.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Ruddon R. W., Hanson C. A., Bryan A. H., Putterman G. J., White E. L., Perini F., Meade K. S., Aldenderfer P. H. Synthesis and secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin subunits by cultured human malignant cells. J Biol Chem. 1980 Feb 10;255(3):1000–1007. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sehested M., Hirsch F. R., Hou-Jensen K. Immunoperoxidase staining for carcinoembryonic antigen in small cell carcinoma of the lung. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol. 1981 Oct;17(10):1125–1131. doi: 10.1016/0014-2964(81)90297-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Vincent R. G., Chu T. M., Lane W. W. The value of carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with carcinoma of the lung. Cancer. 1979 Aug;44(2):685–691. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197908)44:2<685::aid-cncr2820440241>3.0.co;2-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Walker R. A. Biological markers in human breast carcinoma. J Pathol. 1982 Jun;137(2):109–117. doi: 10.1002/path.1711370204. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wilson T. S., McDowell E. M., McIntire K. R., Trump B. F. Elaboration of human chorionic gonadotropin by lung tumors: an immunocytochemical study. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1981 Apr;105(4):169–173. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES