Monoclonal antibodies against a human gastric cancer cell line with lung metastatic potential in nude mice define antigens with different expression between the primary and metastatic liver lesions.

SCK-29 is a tumor cell line derived from human gastric adenocarcinoma with the feature of producing lung metastases when xenografted in nude mice. Monoclonal antibodies were produced against SCK-29 tumor cells or their glycoproteins prepared by affinity chromatography on a lectin-agarose column. Five antigens defined by the monoclonal antibodies MG-1 to MG-5 were expressed in a large number of gastric or colonic adenocarcinomas. Among the antigens, MG-1 and MG-3 proved to be tumor-associated, since they were detected only occasionally in normal tissues. MG-5 antigen was often detected in normal gastric mucosa but not in other tissues. The degree of expression of MG-1. MG-3 and MG-5 antigens differed considerably in metastatic lesions. In metastatic liver lesions of gastric adenocarcinoma, expression of these MG antigens was less marked than in primary tumors. MG-1 and MG-3 antigens were abolished by neuraminidase digestion and periodate oxidation. MG-5 antigen was likely to be a protein antigen, since it was resistant to neuraminidase digestion and to periodate oxidation but was sensitive to protease digestion.