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At present, many researchers focused on the point-of-care testing (POCT), a method of disease markers detection without large-scale instruments and specialized persons. However, most POCT diagnostic methods were suffered from poor detection sensitivity or inefficiency in quantitative detection. Herein, we developed a newly QD-immune fluorescence test strips (QD-IFTS) based on quantum dots (QDs) as the fluorescence nanocarrier to prepare the immune fluorescence probes in the classical immunochromatography detection system for sensing carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), a kind of glycoprotein produced by intestinal tissue and a broad spectrum of tumor marker for cancer diagnosis. And we designed a homemade strips fluorescence reader for detection of fluorescence intensity of QDs on the QD-IFTS. Under the optimized reaction conditions, chromatographic time of the newly QD-IFTS was only 25 min, sample volume of the newly QD-IFTS was only 40 μL and the LOD of the newly QD-IFTS was 0.72 ng/mL. In addition, the efficiency and robustness of the newly QD-IFTS were confirmed by successfully application in 300 clinical serum samples, and the results revealed great potential in clinical POCT of other biomarkers.

The presence of Tissue Polypeptide Antigen (TPA) and Carcino-embryonic Antigen (CEA) in serial sections of 32 breast carcinomas and one case of neurofibrosarcoma was demonstrated by immunocytochemistry using the indirect peroxidase technique. The neurofibrosarcoma was negative for TPA and CEA. All 32 specimens of breast cancer were positive for TPA and/or CEA. In 12 cases the staining was strongly positive for both TPA and CEA. In other cases either TPA or CEA was more abundant in the tumor. The overall concordance of staining was 58%, which is in relative agreement with the correlation between values for TPA and CEA in serum from patients with breast cancer. The finding that in addition to the difference between tumors, there was a difference within tumors was interesting. This indicated that TPA and CEA may be synthesized during partly different phases of the proliferative cycle.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate whether or not serum carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) can be used as potential biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis. Materials and Methods: Forty-six patients with pathology or cytology confirmed CRC and 36 cases with non-malignant colorectal disease (NMCD) were included in this retrospective study. The serum level of CEA, AFP and CA19-9 were arrayed and recorded for the two groups. The diagnosis sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve for serum CEA, AFP and CA19-9 were calculated by the STATA-10.0 software. Results: We found that serum CEA, AFP and CA19-9 level in CRC patients were significantly higher than in NMCDs cases (all P < 0.05). The diagnosis sensitivity of CRC for CEA, AFP and CA19-9 were 80.43%, 73.91% and 69.57%; the diagnosis specificity of CRC for CEA, AFP and CA19-9 were 75.00%, 69.44% and 61.11%. The areas under the ROC curves for CEA, AFP and CA19-9, were 0.88, 0.78 and 0.77 respectively. Conclusion: These findings suggest that serum CEA, AFP and CA19-9 may be a useful biomarker for diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma against NMCD.

Background The present paper is a first evaluation of the use of "CEAwatch", a clinical support software system for surgeons for the follow-up of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. This system gathers Carcino-Embryonic Antigen (CEA) values and automatically returns a recommendation based on the latest values. Methods Consecutive patients receiving follow-up care for CRC fulfilling our in- and exclusion criteria were identified to participate in this study. From August 2008, when the software was introduced, patients were asked to undergo the software-supported follow-up. Safety of the follow-up, experiences of working with the software, and technical issues were analyzed. Results 245 patients were identified. The software-supported group contained 184 patients; the control group contained 61 patients. The software was safe in finding the same amount of recurrent disease with fewer outpatient visits, and revealed few technical problems. Clinicians experienced a decrease in follow-up workload of up to 50% with high adherence to the follow-up scheme. Conclusion CEAwatch is an efficient software tool helping clinicians working with large numbers of follow-up patients. The number of outpatient visits can safely be reduced, thus significantly decreasing workload for clinicians.

Bevacizumab-containing treatment is one of the approved first-line options for the management of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) is a reasonable tumour marker for monitoring the efficacy of treatment. We report here a case of a 58-year-old male patient with metastatic CRC. He received first-line chemotherapy consisting of the mFOLFOX6 regimen plus bevacizumab. Initially he had an increase in CEA after which the level reduced, suggesting the occurrence of a CEA flare. The patient experienced a good response to therapy. In recent literature, CEA flare was identified as a good predictor of response to first-line chemotherapy.

The invention discloses improved reagents containing antibodies against stage specific embryonic antigen-1 antibodies and improved methods for detection of occult abscess and inflammation using the improved reagents.

Two erythrocyte plasma membrane antigens, specific respectively for embryos and adults, have been detected on the cell surface using the immunofluorescence technique. The results demonstrate the existence of three populations bearing respectively either the embryonic antigen (E population), the adult antigen (A population) or both (EA population). Anaemia induced in one-day-old chicks, 60-day-old chicks or adults suggested the relative independence of these three populations.

This study concerns the immunohistologic distribution of carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) in tissues and organs from 86 legal abortions, stillborn fetuses and perinatal deaths and from 5 adults without inflammatory disease or cancer. Monospecific antibodies to CEA of both polyclonal and monoclonal origin were applied to serial sections obtained from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. Starting from the 9th week of gestational age, a positive staining reaction for CEA was found in the surface epithelium of the tongue, the tracheal mucosa and the following locations of the gastro-intestinal tract: the gastro-oesophageal junction, the pyloric antrum, the upper duodenum, throughout the colon and appendix. In the adult, CEA was also found at these sites. All other organs such as the central nervous system, lung, thyroid, thymus, liver, pancreas, gastric corpus, spleen, adrenals, kidney, ureter, bladder, gonads and breast were negative for CEA. Therefore, CEA appears to be a normal antigen in the gastro-intestinal tract at any age from fetal life onwards.

Summary Measurements of HCG and carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) were made in 26 patients with ovarian cancer to evaluate these substances as tumour markers; 13·4 per cent of 194 CEA estimations and 14·6 per cent of 144 HCG estimations were abnormal. CEA values were abnormal in 9 out of 26 patients and HCG values in 13 out of 26 patients. The implications of these findings particularly the presence of HCG are discussed.

Nineteen patients who have had medullary carcinomas of the thyroid have been followed up at the Royal Marsden Hospital. All had nodal involvement. Postoperative unprovoked serum calcitonin assays have been performed. Four patients had incomplete excisions of their tumours and these had the highest postoperative levels. Two died within 3 years, one has stable disease 8 years later and one remains well 13 years later. Four patients had postoperative calcitonin assays of over 100 ng/ml but had no clinical evidence of remaining disease. Only one has died (7 years later), the others remaining well 10, 10 and 3 years later. Four patients died of their disease and all had assays of over 200 ng/ml, before death. Slightly raised postoperative assays were found in all the other patients, but these have not significantly altered. These patients had good prognoses. Three patients also had regular carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) assays and the value of this is discussed.

ONE feature frequently accompanying malignant transformation is the re-expression of embryonic characteristics, and the presence of tumour-associated embryonic antigens has been demonstrated on a wide range of experimental and human tumours1–5. Studies in our laboratory, using aminazo-dye-induced rat hepatomas, have shown that these re-expressed antigens are detectable on cells derived from 14–16-d-old rat embryos, but not cells from adult rat tissue1,6 and in vitro microcytotoxicity tests have revealed that rats bearing transplanted hepatomas exhibit a cell-mediated immune reaction against the embryonic antigen (EA)6.

Carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) was detected in the blood serum of 70% of rats with tumors of the large intestine induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine and with posttraumatic regeneration of the mucosa of the large intestine. After injection of estrogen (diethylstilbestrol proionate, 0.57 μg daily for 6 days) the frequency of appearance of CEA in such animals increased, as also did the CEA level in the blood serum. In rats with injury to the mucosa of the large intestine, injection of estrogen prevented the natural decrease in the CEA concentration as the intensity of the regenerative process diminished.

There is a great need for appropriate animal models of various types of human neoplasms. Such models allow detailed studies of various aspects of immunologic diagnosis, therapy, and prevention, which for a variety of reasons cannot be performed in human patients. The crucial question in regard to any such animal model is of course to what extent it is analogous to the corresponding human neoplasm. It is quite clear that the conditions in a human cancer patient are always different in a number of ways from those in a tumor-bearing animal. However, it is also striking, that immunologic mechanisms are generally very similar in various animal species. As a consequence, a certain group of antigens often give rise to similar types of immune responses in humans and various animal species.

Urinary carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) was measured in a follow-up study of 101 bladder carcinoma patients. Urinary CEA estimation during follow-up appears to be of clinical value. Negative results can be interpreted only in relation to previously increased values. Positive results are of value in retrospect when combined with negative data, e.g. in evaluation of suspicious bladder changes and as an early indication of renewed tumour growth. Increased CEA levels in urines from patients with urinary infection rapidly decline once the infection is cured.

Of the various physiological changes detectable after conversion of cells to malignancy, the expression of new antigens on the cell surface could be a key phenomenon, the study of which might contribute essentially to answering basic questions of cancer research.

Spleen cells from BALB/C mice were immunized with highly purified C.E.A. and then fused with the mouse myeloma cell line SP2/0. Ratio between SP2/0 and spleen cells was 1/10 Antibody production was monitored by radioimmunoassay (R.I.A.) using tracer 125I C.E.A. antigen and goat anti mouse anti Ig. Three antibodies were selected and cloned They were IgG 1 K. The specificity was investigated by R.I.A. using tracer 125I C.E.A. and N.C.A. antigen. One antibody was specific for C.E.A.; Two cross reacted faintly with N.C.A. Studies in tissue sections on gut adenocarcinomas; benign and malignant gut polyposis objectivated a haevy apical localisation in tumoral cells, faint apical plus basal localisation in transforming cells while there was no labelling in normal areas.

A cell-surface antigen common to mouse primitive teratocarcinoma cells, morulae, and spermatozoa and specified by the + t 12 allele at the T-locus of the mouse has been shown by serological methods to be present on the surface of human spermatozoa, but not of human lymphocytes, fibroblasts, or erythrocytes.

The location of an early embryonic antigen common to human and murine spermatozoa has been studied using indirect immunofluorescence technique. The antigen has been found located on the postacrosomal membrane of spermatozoa of both species.

A monoclonal antibody reacting with early mouse embryos and murine embryonal carcinoma cells (F9) defines the stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA-1). We now report that the antigen (SSEA-1) is a complex glycolipid with the branched lacto-N-glycosyl series. Antibody to SSEA-1 reacts strongly with the branched H 4 -glycosphingolipid but not with other various glycolipids so far tested. This reactivity was abolished by endo-β-galactosidase treatment. The homogeneous H 4 -glycolipid not only reacted with the monoclonal antibody to SSEA-1 but also with antibody to I-(Ma), i-(Dench) and with anti-H specific lectin. Chemical analysis, including methylation, also indicates that the glycolipid antigen had a close resemblance to I-antigen.

The expression of human beta2-microglobulin was detected on human spermatozoa from 7 donors using a cytotoxicity assay and indirect immunofluorescence. Inhibition experiments using purified beta2-microglobulin demonstrated the specificities of these reactions. We were able to localize beta2-microglobulin on human spermatozoa on the post-acrosomal region at a similar location to those described for HL-A antigen and for early embryonic antigen +t12, but also at the end of the intermediary piece and the beginning of the tail.

The developmental expression of an early embryonic antigen, common to mouse spermatozoa and cleavage embryos as well as to human spermatozoa, has been studied by immunological techniques, during spermatogenesis of both species. The antigen was detected on all diploid precursors of spermatozoa, including primordial gonocytes. It is suggested that this early embryonic antigen might remain expressed, after egg implantation, on those cells which are to give rise to the male germinal line.

A series of immunological methods was used to investigate in detail the cell surface alterations induced by avian oncornaviruses in chicken and mouse cells. It could be demonstrated that mouse-specific and interspecies-specific embryonic antigens exist on the surface of normal and malignant cells. Furthermore, viral transformation leads to the retrogenetic expression of embryonic antigen(s) on both chicken and mouse cells which cannot be detected on the respective normal cells. With the experimental approach used here, an identity between the tumor-associated embryonic antigen(s) and the previously described tumor-specific surface antigens could not be found.