Leukocyte migration inhibition by soluble extracts of MCF-7 tissue culture cell line derived from breast carcinoma.

Studies were conducted to determine whether MCF-7, a tissue culture cell line derived from a pleural effusion of a patient with breast carcinoma, could be used as a source of tumor-associated antigen for direct leukocyte migration-inhibition (LMI) assays. Of 32 patients with breast carcinoma, 27 (84.4%) gave positive migration-inhibition results on their initial tests with a 25-mug protein/ml concentration of a 3 M KCl extract of MCF-7; 1 of 24 (4.5%) normal donors reacted with MCF-7. An intermediate incidence of reactivity (7/16) was observed with the extract when leukocytes of patients with melanoma, lung carcinoma, and Ewing's sarcoma were used. In further specificity studies, leukocytes of patients with breast carcinoma gave a lower incidence of LMl reactivity than did those of patients with Ewing's sarcoma and lung carcinoma with KCl extracts of the appropriate histologic type of tumor. The results indicated that the MCF-7 cells possessed a tumor-associated antigen to which many patients with breast carcinoma are sensitized.

Cell-mediated immunity to mouse mammary tumor virus antigens by patients with hyperplastic benign breast disease.

Peripheral blood leukocytes of patients with preoperative breast cancer, benign breast disease, and benign gynecologic disorders and normal healthy females were tested, as blind coded specimens, with murine mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) antigens in the direct and indirect leukocyte migration inhibition (LMI) assays. The incidence of reactivity by patients with breast cancer was low. (From 5 to 35% breast cancer patients reacted, depending on which group of control individuals they were compared to and what antigen was used.) Nonparametric analyses showed no differences between control groups (normal donors and patients with gynecologic disorders) and breast cancer patients with either assay. However, there was a significant difference between benign breast disease patients with hyperplasia and 1) benign breast disease patients without hyperplasia (P less than 0.03) and 2) patients with gynecologic disorders (P less than 0.04) in the direct assay when it was performed blindly with the gp52 antigen. Patients with hyperplasia (benign breast disease as well as breast cancer) had a higher incidence of enhanced migration in the indirect test than breast disease patients without hyperplasia. The enhanced migration to the MuMTV was correlated to enhanced migration to a 3-M KCI extract of the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 in simultaneous tests. Thus the LMI assays with MuMTV antigens do not appear valuable in breast cancer diagnosis, but they may help to identify a small group of benign breast disease patients whose breast pathology is thought to be associated with a high risk for developing breast cancer.

Steroid hormone receptors in human colon cancers.

Tumors from patients with primary colon cancer were studied for the presence of steroid hormone receptors for estrogen (E2), progesterone (Prog), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and glucocorticoid. Ten of 33 (30%) tumors contained high affinity E2 receptors. Four were males and six females with positive assays predominantly from the left colon. Twenty-three of these tumors were also assayed for DHT and Prog and six (26%) contained all three receptors. An additional twelve tumors had at least one receptor, so that 70% of the tumors studied contained one or more receptors. Five of 22 (23%) samples were positive for glucocorticoid receptors. Common etiological factors associated with colon and breast cancer were briefly discussed. These factors, along with the presence of hormone receptors in primary colon malignancies suggest that some large bowel cancers may be endocrine-dependent.