Tumour associated antigens in bovine horn cancer

Tumour associated antigens in bovine horn cancer (HC) were demonstrated by immunodiffusion in agar gel and by immuno-fluorescence. Antiserums raised in rabbits against sonicated pooled horn cancer tissue extracts and absorbed with normal antigens, reacted only with HC extracts on agar gel diffusion. Preparations of normal antigen (skin, horn core epithelium, lymph node and liver) and extracts from other tumours (fibroma, fibrosarcoma and myxoma) did not show any reactivity against absorbed antiserum in this test. The absorbed antiserum showing specific reactivity to HC extracts in gel diffusion tests was conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate. Many different HC, normal cells and cells from other tumours were incubated with the conjugate and examined by fluorescent microscopy. HC cells showed specific beaded fluorescence on the surface whereas such fluorescence was not observed in normal cells or cells from other tumours.