Abstract: | A monoclonal antibody (GC 302) established in our laboratory, which was reactive with gastric carcinoma and other epithelial carcinoma but not with normal gastric mucosa or other malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin, was used to investigate the radioimmunolocalization of tumors. Various kinds of target cells (5 X 10(5)) were incubated with 125I-labeled GC 302, and radioactivity was determined with a gamma counter. It was shown that there was a 500- to 1,000-fold increase in counts for gastric carcinoma (NUGC-2, NUGC-4, MKN-28 and MKN-45) as compared to those of normal lymphocytes and about 100-fold increase as compared to melanoma or leukemia. These findings were consistent with those obtained from the study of immunohistochemistry using GC 302. An in vitro assay was also carried out using nude mice bearing gastric cancer and inoculated with 125I-labeled GC 302. There was a 2- to 3-fold increase in radioactivity in the tumor and a 4- to 5-fold increase as compared with the visceral organs. Although the tumor:blood ratio was relatively low, radioimmunoscintigraphy could be done successfully with the aid of computed radiography. We thus conclude that further testing of GC 302 is worthwhile to establish whether or not it is useful for radioimmunoscintigraphy of metastatic lesions of gastric cancer for possible clinical application. |