Preparation of a monoclonal antibody specific for 1-methyladenosine and its application for the detection of elevated levels of 1-methyladenosine in urines from cancer patients.

A monoclonal antibody specific for a modified nucleoside, 1-methyladenosine, was prepared and characterized. This antibody, termed AMA-2, reacts with 1-methyladenosine and 1-methyladenine but not with other nucleosides, particularly methylated adenosines other than 1-methyladenosine and methylated guanosines, tested in this investigation. In our experiments, AMA-2 was used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system for the quantitation of the levels of 1-methyladenosine in urine. Sensitivity was in the picomole range and accuracy was nearly equal to that of the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay system. Urinary levels of 1-methyladenosine in healthy donors and patients with various advanced cancers were determined by the inhibition ELISA. The amount of 1-methyladenosine in urine of 33 healthy donors was 1.91 +/- 0.66 nmol/mumol creatinine. In 54% (51/94) of patients, urinary 1-methyladenosine was elevated above the mean plus 2 standard deviations for the healthy donors (3.23 nmol/mumol creatinine). In patients with leukemia, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, and bladder cancer, urinary levels of 1-methyladenosine were significantly elevated. In patients with leukemia, urinary 1-methyladenosine levels changed almost in parallel with the change in the clinical response during chemotherapy. These results suggest that urinary 1-methyladenosine might be useful in monitoring the effectiveness of therapy.