Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027819 (neuroblastoma)
 27,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Several authors have observed that the plasma levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in patients with neuroblastoma were significantly elevated. The present study was undertaken to investigate the nature of CEA activity in neuroblastoma tissue. This tumor tissue contains a small amount of CEA-like substance reacting with anti-CEA serum which is characterized by gamma-globulin electrophoretic mobility, a molecular weight that is approximately equal to that of albumin (4.6S) by gel filtration, and a glycoprotein staining with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS). According to the double immunodiffusion method, this antigen is partially identical to purified CEA of colon carcinoma, and is completely identical to nonspecific crossreacting antigen (NCA). This antigen is, therefore, referred to not as the CEA as described by Gold, but as NCA in neuroblastoma tissue. The elevation of plasma CEA activity in patients with neuroblastoma may be due to the release of NCA from tumor cells, or to the destruction tissues by metastasis, of normal which are rich in NCA, or to a combination of both.
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PMID:Immunologic and biochemical studies on the carcinoembryonic antigen-like substance in human neuroblastoma. 8 82

Lung tumor-associated antigens of approximately 32,000 daltons were recognized by the use of sensitive radioimmunoassays and rabbit antisera, one raised against an extract of pooled human malignant lung tissues and another raised against a cell line derived from a human squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. These antigens differ from antigens described previously, including carcinoembryonic antigen and alpha-fetoprotein. The antigens were detected on 13 of 13 lung tumors (of all histologic types), fetal tissue, normal brain, 2 of 8 colon tumors, 2 of 9 prostate tumors, and 2 of 3 breast tumors, as well as on cell lines derived from lung tumors, neuroblastoma, human amnion, colon adenocarcinoma, and bladder tumors. They were not detectable on normal lung, liver, kidney, colon, or prostate tissues or on cell lines derived from osteosarcoma, fetal lung fibroblasts, transitional cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. Lung tumors of different histologic types were concluded to express common, tumor-associated oncofetal antigens that are found less often on tumors of other organs.
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PMID:Human lung tumor-associated antigens of 32,000 daltons molecular weight. 9 95

Plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was assayed with a radioimmune procedure in 27 healthy control children. The upper limit of plasma CEA (mean +2 SD) was derived from healthy controls and was 3.35 ng/ml. This value was compared with those obtained from 15 children with active neuroblastoma, 7 with active embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, 16 with treated neuroblastoma and without evidence of disease, 14 disease-free patients with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, and 17 patients still on therapy. The neuroblastoma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma patients with active disease had higher CEA values than did the successfully treated neuroblastoma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma patients. CEA plasma values greater than 3.35 ng/ml were found in 35% and 24% of patiens with neuroblastoma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, respectively.
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PMID:Carcinoembryonic antigen in children with neuroblastoma. 97 77

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) of the immunoglobulin supergene family may play important roles in tumorigenesis and the development of metastatic disease. In a variety of human malignancies, tumor progression has been observed to be associated with changes in CAM expression. An early event in colorectal tumorigenesis appears to be the down regulation of a normally expressed CAM, DCC. Over-expression of a second CAM, carcinoembryonic antigen, is associated with colorectal tumors which have a high risk for metastasis development. Several tumors, including Wilms tumors and neuroblastoma, have been found to express a developmentally regulated form of NCAM which inhibits a variety of cell-cell interactions. Malignant cells not only show aberrations in the expression of their CAMS and thus their normal cell-cell interactions, but establish new adhesive interactions. The development of metastatic potential in cutaneous melanoma is associated with the de novo expression of two CAMs, one of which is ICAM-1, a molecule mediating adhesion between the tumor cells and leukocytes.
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PMID:Cell adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin supergene family and their role in malignant transformation and progression to metastatic disease. 168 May 75

Bloom's syndrome (BS) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by short stature, sensitivity to sunlight, and telangiectasic malar erythema. It is associated to chromosomal breakage, to primary combined immunodeficiency, and to a high incidence of neoplasias. The authors report the case of two siblings with BS and associated immunodeficiency. Both patients were male and 5 (A) and 4 (B) years old at the time of diagnosis. Chronic diarrhea, recurrent otitis media, purulent rhinitis, conjunctivitis and pyodermatitis were reported by patient A. Patient B was admitted with diagnosis of bilateral neuroblastoma and had the tumor resected. Later on, he presented with oral moniliasis, herpetic stomatitis, and skin abscesses. This patient did not have recurrent infections. Immunological evaluation showed normal serum levels of CH50, C3, and C4 for both patients. Serum IgG, IgA, IgM, and salivary IgA levels were: 455 mg/dl, 15mg/dl, 20mg/dl, 0.6mg/dl for A, and 400mg/dl, 15mg/dl, 20mg/dl, and 0.2mg/dl for B, respectively. Serum antipolio antibodies (1, 2, and 3) were normal, and low levels of isohemagglutinins were observed in both patients. T cells subset determination showed: patient A--OKT3 = 66%, OKT4 = 33%, OKT8 = 32%, and 4/8 ratio = 1.0; patient B--OKT3 = 70%, OKT4 = 32%, OKT8 = 34%, and 4/8 ratio = 1.0. In vitro cellular immune response to PHA was depressed only in patient B. Patients karyotype showed chromosomal breaks with sister chromatid exchanges. Neither patient had abnormal alphafetoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigen serum levels. The rarity of such associations justifies the presentation of the cases.
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PMID:[Familial Bloom's syndrome associated with neuroblastoma]. 221 4

Sixteen tumor markers are reviewed, and measured to the ideal: produced by the tumor cell alone absent in health and in benign disease present in all patients with a given malignancy level in the blood representative of tumor mass detectable in occult disease. The only marker that approaches the ideal is human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in gestational trophoblastic tumors. In this malignancy, the HCG level suggests the diagnosis and stage, confirms response to therapy, and predicts relapse. The three most widely used and intensely studied tumor markers are carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alphafetoprotein (AFP), and HCG. CEA cannot be used in screening for cancer, but in carcinoma of the colon its elevation preoperatively increases the likelihood of advanced disease and postoperative recurrence. Postoperatively, elevated titers are often but not invariably associated with recurrent disease. AFP and HCG are useful in the management of nonseminomatous germ cell testicular tumors. Like CEA, they cannot be used for screening. They are more likely to be increased with advancing stage, and after therapy rising levels almost always mean recurrent disease. Some markers are valuable in specific circumstances, such as calcitonin in screening for familial medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. In multiple myeloma, immunoglobulins are useful in determining the tumor mass and response to therapy. In neuroblastoma, catecholamine metabolites are useful primarily in making the diagnosis. In some malignancies, the absence of effective therapy lowers the value of the marker, as for AFP in hepatoma. The remaining markers are too unreliable or too little studied to be useful in the management of an individual patient with cancer. The purpose of this paper is to provide the clinician with an understanding of the limitations of the present tumor markers that will lead to wiser use of the tests, and to provide standards to which future tumor markers should be measured.
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PMID:Tumor markers: value and limitations in the management of cancer patients. 241 41

By fusion of mouse NS1 myeloma cells with splenocytes from a BALB/c mouse immunized with human melanoma cells, an IgG1 monoclonal antibody, designated as 140.72, was produced. By the mixed hemadsorption antibody binding assay, 140.72 was shown to react with 17 of 20 melanoma cell lines and with 5 of 14 carcinoma cell lines. This antibody also reacted with 3 of 3 normal melanocyte cultures in much lower titers. It did not react with any of 35 other normal and malignant lines, including neuroblastoma, glioblastoma, sarcoma, teratoma, fibroblast, and lymphoid cell lines. Absorption with fresh melanoma and carcinoma homogenates confirmed the results of direct tests. Fetal reactivity of antibody 140.72 was determined by positive absorption with 10 of 11 tissue homogenates derived from different fetuses of 10-16 weeks' gestation. The reactivity of this antibody was completely removed by absorption with a highly purified preparation of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) derived from a colon carcinoma. The antigenic activity was detected in the culture medium of reactive cell lines. Immunoprecipitation analyses of melanoma and carcinoma cells indicated that the antigenic determinant recognized by antibody 140.72 is on a glycoprotein with an apparent molecular weight of 95,000-150,000 common to both serologically reactive cell types. Additionally, a 200,000-molecular-weight glycoprotein corresponding to the CEA molecule was detected only on the reactive carcinoma cells. These data confirmed previous findings obtained with polyclonal anti-CEA antisera for the existence of shared CEA-related antigenic determinants on human carcinomas and melanomas and provided additional molecular characterization of these glycoproteins. Further characterization of the molecules bearing the antigenic determinant recognized by antibody 140.72 should be performed with a view to exploring its potential in the immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy of patients with melanoma.
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PMID:Monoclonal antibody recognizing human melanoma-carcinoma cross-reacting oncofetal antigen epitopically associated with carcinoembryonic antigen. 258 73

Immunocytochemical localization of two monoclonal anticarcinoembryonic antigen antibodies (11-285-14; 11-359-6) which recognize different CEA epitopes, and a polyclonal anti-CEA antibody (DAKO) recognizing both carcinoembryonic antigen and nonspecific cross-reacting antigen, was studied in 59 tumor tissue samples from 18 patients with neuroblastoma. No evidence of intact tumor cell staining was seen with any of the antibodies although the polyclonal antibody often stained necrotic tissue and infiltrating inflammatory cells. It is concluded that at the level of sensitivity of immunocytochemical localization, neuroblastoma cells do not express carcinoembryonic antigen.
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PMID:Immunocytochemical investigation of carcinoembryonic antigen expression in neuroblastoma with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. 388 15

Flow cytometry allows a rapid and accurate analysis of the cells in serous fluids. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of flow cytometric analysis in malignant pleural effusions. 26 patients (13 females, 13 males; mean age 52 +/- 19 years; range 16-82) were included in the study. 15 had malignant pleural effusions (7 adenocarcinoma, 2 lymphoma, 2 chronic myeloid leukemia, 1 ovarian carcinoma, 1 small cell lung carcinoma, 1 squamous cell lung carcinoma and empyema, and 1 malignant mesothelioma) with positive cytology. 2 had benign effusions associated with malignancy (1 squamous cell lung carcinoma and congestive heart failure, and 1 neuroblastoma and hypoproteinemia). 9 had benign effusions (3 tuberculosis, 1 congestive heart failure, 3 parapneumonic pleural effusion, 1 benign mesothelioma, and 1 pulmonary embolism). Flow cytometric analysis of pleural effusions revealed an increased DNA index in malignant effusions: 1.32 +/- 0.44 versus 0.88 +/- 0.23 in benign effusions (p < 0.04). The cell cycle distribution of cells such as G1/G0 and S in malignant effusions did not differ from that of benign pleural effusions; however G2+M increased significantly in malignant effusions (p < 0.03). Using analysis of mononuclear immunophenotyping, CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells did not show any significant difference between the two groups. The lymphocyte activation marker CD38 was positive in 57.6 +/- 11.5% of malignant fluid cells and 38.5 +/- 6.2% of benign fluid cells (p < 0.04). The mean carcinoembryonic antigen levels in malignant and benign pleural effusions were 98.7 +/- 157.3 and 0.9 +/- 1.2 ng/ml, respectively (p < 0.03). In conclusion, the results of our study indicate that finding cells with an abnormal DNA content strongly supports the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusions. Additionally, mononuclear cell phenotypes have to be taken into consideration for malignant pleural effusions, particularly activated T cells. We recommend that flow cytometry should be performed if the cytology is equivocal.
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PMID:Analysis of pleural effusions using flow cytometry. 883 88

Neuroendocrine tumors are characterized by the expression of different peptides and biogenic amines. These rare tumors tend to grow slowly and are notoriously difficult to localize, at least in the early stages. Surgical removal is the only definitive therapeutic option for neuroendocrine tumors and relief from hyperfunctional status. The effectiveness of surgical treatment is invariably dependent upon the complete surgical excision of all tumor tissue, because microscopic and occult disease not readily seen by the surgeon may remain in situ, leading to shortened survival. Therefore, pre- and intraoperative localization of the primary as well as of metastatic tumors is of utmost importance. Radioguided surgery (RGS) is an intraoperative technique that enables the surgeon to localize radiolabelled tissue based on the characteristics of the various tissues. Concerning gastroenteropancreatic tumors (GEP), intraoperative gamma probe examination is able to reveal small tumor sites accumulating (111In-DTPA-D-Phe1)-pentetreotide more efficiently (> 90%) than somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (68%-77%), because lesions with a size smaller than 5 mm in greatest dimension could be identified. Furthermore, RGS identified 57% more lesions when compared to the "palpating finger" of the surgeon. In medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), surgical removal of the tumor is the first and most efficient treatment of the disease. Persistent or increasing serum calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels imply tumor recurrence after thyroid ablation. For imaging recurrent MTC many radiopharmaceuticals have been used to visualize tumor sites, but none of them has shown excellent sensitivity. Preoperative somatostatin receptor scintigraphy and intraoperative RGS in patients with recurrent MTC demonstrate only part of the tumor sites and cannot visualize small tumor sites (less than 10 mm). In comparison, RGS using 99mTc(V)-DMSA detects metastases with a size of 5 mm in diameter, whereas the "palpating finger" of the surgeon localized metastases with a size of more than 1 cm in diameter. In patients with recurrent MTC, intraoperative gamma probe examination is able to localize over 30% more tumor lesions when compared with conventional preoperative imaging modalities and surgical findings. MIBG scintigraphy is the most sensitive technique for the detection and staging of neuroblastoma (sensitivity 92%; specificity nearly 100%). Intraoperative RGS with iodine labelled MIBG has been developed to improve the definition of tumor limits or to localize small, nonpalpable tumors. Comparison of 123I- and 125I-labelled MIBG revealed a sensitivity of 91% and 92%, respectively; the specificity of 125I (85%) was significantly higher than that of 123I (55%). In addition to scintigraphy of the adrenal glands by precusors of adrenal hormones, imaging with a radiolabelled somatostatin analogue is possible; however, (111In-DTPA-D-Phe1)-pentetreotide is not specific for any adrenal disease or function and the relatively high radioligand accumulation in the kidneys limited the use for detection of tumors in the area of the adrenal glands.
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PMID:Intraoperative use of gamma-detecting probes to localize neuroendocrine tumors. 1093 2


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