Cytotoxic Action of Anti-urine Sera on Mouse Tumour Cells

Abstract

SERUM proteins have been found repeatedly and identified immunologically in human urine¹. The presence of ‘tumour antigens’ in urine of carcinoma patients was indicated by Sakuma². In previous work by gel-precipitation³, we demonstrated the presence of 3 antigens, immunologically identical with those of a mouse mammary carcinoma, in urines of mice bearing such tumours. One of these antigens was found in a much higher concentration in mammary tumours than in several normal tissues⁴. Spleen contained less of this antigen than other organs. It was also found in a higher amount in sera of tumour-bearing than in sera of normal mice of the same strain. This antigen was not detectable in urines of normal mice³. Since there are no data on the action of anti-urine sera on tumour cells, a study was made with the view of comparing the cytotoxic activity of the antisera against urine of tumour-bearing (AUST) and of normal mice (AUSN) with that of anti-tumour serum (ATS).