Tumour-associated water soluble antigen(s) in human glioblastoma demonstrated by immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis.

A rabbit antiserum to human glioblastoma is tested against extracts from normal adult human organs and brain tumors. By agarose-gel immunodiffusion it is established that along with glioblastoma extract this antiserum reacts also against extracts from human kidney, lung, liver, spleen, testis and normal brain. After complete absorption with lyophilized pooled human blood plasma and consequently with extracts from normal organs (including normal brain) it continues to react with the glioblastoma extract only. This completely absorbed anti-glioblastoma antiserum gives one precipitation line with an extract from the brain of 8-10 week human embryo but does not react with extracts from other embryonic organs. It is also shown by immuno-electrophoresis that the glioblastoma-associated antigen has a beta-globulin mobility which distinguishes it from the embryonic brain antigen.