Human meningioma antigens.

Sera from patients with various types of central nervous system tumors display antibodies reactive in serologic assays with cells and extracts derived from human brain neoplasms. Soluble antigens extracted and purified from surgical specimens of human meningiomas (MSA) were used to test for precipitating antibodies in sera from patients with various histologic types of brain tumors, non-neural solid tumors and from normal donors. Blind studies by immunodiffusion (ID) showed that 63% (15/24) of meningioma patients, 53% (9/17) of glioma patients and 17% (5/29) of patients with various other brain neoplasms had antibodies that reacted with two of three meningioma-associated antigens. Sera from normal donors and patients with non-neural solid neoplasms reacted to a limited extent (7/118) with another of these tumor-associated antigens. Cross-reaction and absorption studies revealed that the three meningioma-associated antigens were detecting different antibodies. None of the antigens was related to HLA antigens or to the human non-neurotropic viruses used in our assays.