Serological Studies of Seromucoids from Normal Subjects and Patients with Malignant and Non-Malignant Diseases

During investigations of serum from patients with carcinoma, elevated levels of two proteins were observed. The larger (MW approximately 44,000) was identified as (alpha-acid glycoprotein. The smaller MW approximately 20,000) has not yet been identified. Further investigation of alpha-acid-glycoprotein-containing seromucoid showed that many red blood cell and tissue antigens were present, for example, I, i, P1, Tja (P+P+Pk), H, A, B, Lea, Leb1, M and N. Differences in antigen content between normal serum and serum from carcinoma patients could be demonstrated quantitatively and qualitatively. Seromucoid preparations from patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma inhibited phytohaemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte transformation more often than seromucoid preparations from normal subjects.