Tra-1-60: A new serum marker in patients with germ-cell tumors

✍ Scribed by J. Marrink; P. W. Andrews; P. J. Van Brummen; H. J. De Jong; D. T. H. Sleijfer; H. Schraffordt Koops; J. W. Oosterhuis

• Book ID: 102869968
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 506 KB
• Volume: 49
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910490309

✦ Synopsis

TRA-1-60 is a monoclonal antibody (MAb) that recognizes a mucin-like antigenic determinant expressed on the surface of embryonal carcinoma (EC) progenitor cells. In order to determine whether this antigen is released into the serum of patients with a non-seminomatous germ-cell tumor (NSGCT), we developed a sensitive 2-step immunoenzymometric assay. Of 42 EC-positive NSGCT patients tested, 32 (76%) were found to release TRA-I -60-reactive antigen into their serum, in contrast to I positive finding in 10 EC-negative NSGCT patients. The marker was found in 67% (lo/ 15) of the EC-positive patients who were negative for both AFP and HCG. Sera from seminoma patients did not contain elevated levels of the TRA-1-60 antigen. Therefore, we propose that the TRA-1-60 antigen is a useful additional serum marker for following the progress of NSGCT(EC+) patients.