Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to concanavalin A-binding tumour membrane components.

The use of affinity chromatography has permitted the isolation of those tumour membrane fractions possessing affinity for the lectin concanavalin A. That these fractions are rich in tumour-associated antigens is supported by their ability to induce delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions. The tumour extracts possessing concanavalin affinity resulted in skin test reactivity of considerably greater frequency and magnitude than normal tissue fractions, disrupted unfractionated tumour membrane extracts, or tumour membrane fractions not possessing concanavalin A affinity. Although the present data does not permit the correlation of skin reactivity with patient or disease parameters, the isolation of augmented concentrations of tumour-associated antigens may lead to improved diagnostic and prognostic tests and vaccines for patients with cancer.