Radioimmunoassay of aldolase A. Determination of normal serum levels and increased serum concentration in cancer patients

A radioimmunoassay specific for human aldolase A subunits was used to measure human aldolase A (ALD-A) in human serum. The double antibody competitive inhibition radioimmunoassay technique used radioiodinated purified ALD-A as ligand, chicken antisera specific for human ALD-A and rabbit antichicken IgG. The serum levels of ALD-A in 42 normal healthy subjects ranged from 130 to 210 ng/ml (mean average, 171 +/- 39 ng/ml). In 177 hospitalized patients without cancer, muscle diseases, or hemolytic anemia, the ALD-A serum levels ranged from 125 to 220 ng/ml. In contrast, 82% of 260 patients with various types of malignancy had ALD-A serum concentrations above the normal range. The CEA levels increased only 44% of the sera of 80 patients with cancer of the digestive tract, whereas the ALD-A levels were increased in 86% of the patients. The AFP levels were greater than 100 ng/ml in only 70% of the sera of 33 liver cell carcinoma patients, whereas the ALD-A levels were increased in 94% of these sera. The measurement of serum ALD-A by radioimmunoassay may be a valuable adjunct in the clinical diagnosis of certain cancer patients.

[Effects of paromomycin sulfate on Diphyllobothrium latum infections]

About 50 mg/kg of paromomycin sulfate was administered orally in a single or 2 divided doses to patients with Diphyllobothrium latum infections. The following results were obtained. After the treatment with paromomycin sulfate mature strobilae were expelled in all of 7 patients with Diphyllobothrium latum infections. We couldn't find scolices in all cases. Although these stools were examined for 2 months after the treatment, the eggs of Diphyllobothrium latum were not identified. No side effects were observed in all cases. It was concluded that paromomycin sulfate was effective on the treatment of Diphyllobothrium latum infections.

Aldolase A isoenzyme levels in serum and tissues of patients with liver diseases

A radioimmunoassay specific for human aldolase A was used to measure human aldolase A levels in human tissue and serum of patients with various liver diseases. The method was a double-antibody technique using radio-iodinated purified aldolase A, chicken antibody to aldolase A, and rabbit antibody to chicken immunoglobulin G. Normal liver tissue contains only a small amount of aldolase A. In contrast, aldolase A predominates in liver cell carcinoma tissue. Aldolase A levels in the sera of normal subjects were 171 +/- 39 ng/ml (mean +/- 2 SD). In almost all of the nonmalignant liver diseases, the aldolase A levels remained less than 210 ng/ml. The serum aldolase A levels increased remarkable only in fulminant hepatitis. in contrast, 32 of 34 patients with liver cell carcinoma and all of 29 patients with metastatic liver carcinoma showed clearly increased serum aldolase A levels. More patients with primary liver cell carcinoma had increased serum aldolase A levels than elevations of serum alpha-fetoprotein. These results suggest that the determination of aldolase A by radioimmunoassay may be useful to differentiate malignant form nonmalignant liver diseases.

A non-competitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay for human aldolase A

A solid-phase, non-competitive radioimmunoassay for aldolase A in human serum has been developed. Human aldolase A was purified from muscle, and specific antisera to the purified aldolase A were obtained from chickens. Specific IgG anti-human aldolase A was purified by affinity chromatography. Disposable polypropylene plates were coated with specific IgG antibody and used for radioimmunoassay with 125I-specific IgG antibody to aldolase A. The non-specific binding was minimized by saturating the binding sites of the plates with 2% ovalbumin in 0.1% Tween 20. This radioimmunoassay is specific for the aldolase A subunit, with no cross-reactivity with human aldolase B subunit or homopolymeric human aldolase C(C4). The serum aldolase A immunoreactivities of 33 normal subjects ranged from 124 to 212 ng/ml with a mean of 178 +/- 41 ng/ml (+/- 2 SD). Ninety-three patients' sera were assayed with both a solid-phase non-competitive radioimmunoassay and a competitive double antibody radioimmunoassay developed in our laboratory and the results showed a high degree of correlation (r = 0.912; p less than 0.001). Rapidity and simplicity of the solid-phase assay makes it superior to other methods for the measurement of serum aldolase isozymes.

Radioimmunoassay for human aldolase A

A radioimmunoassay was developed for the direct quantification of aldolase A in human serum. The method is a double antibody radioimmunoassay using radioiodinated aldolase A4 homopolymer as ligand, chicken antibodies to aldolase A, and rabbit antibodies to chicken IgG. The lowest measurable amount by this method was 2 ng (0.01 U). The radioimmunoassay was shown to be specific for the aldolase A subunit, with no cross-reactivity with human aldolase B subunits or homopolymeric human aldolase C (C4). The immunoreactive aldolase A in the sera of 41 normal healthy subjects ranged from 130 to 210 ng/ml (0.81-1.31 U/1), with a mean of 171 /+- 39 ng/ml.

Diagnosis of cancer by radioimmunoassay of muscle type aldolase

A specific radioimmunoassay was developed for the quantification of human muscle type aldolase (M-ALD) in human serum. The method utilized the double antibody radioimmunoassay technique using radioiodinated M-ALD, chicken antibody to M-ALD and rabbit antibody to chicken IgG. The serum M-ALD values of 41 normal healthy subjects ranged from 130 to 210 ng/ml, average 171 +/- 39 ng/ml. In 76 noncancer hospital patients, excluding patients with muscle diseases, the serum M-ALD values ranged from 125 to 220 ng/ml, average 164 +/- 52 ng/ml. In contrast, 129 cancer patients had high serum M-ALD values of 586 +/- 926 ng/ml, ranging from 85 to 5,800 ng/ml. Eighty-six percent of the cancer patients showed serum M-ALD concentrations over the normal range. The measurement of M-ALD values in the serum of patients by radioimmunoassay may be a valuable laboratory test in the diagnosis and follow-up of cancer patients.

The intra-articular residual rate of 131I-fibrinogen and microautoradiographs of the synovial tissue in rheumatoid arthritis

In this study, 131I-labeled human plasma fibrinogen (200 muCi) was injected intravenously into 21 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 10 control patients without rheumatic diseases. The residual rates of radioiodinated fibrinogen in the knee joints were calculated by measuring with a scintillation counter the microautoradiographs of the synovial tissue obtained by punch biopsy from the knee joints. The residual rates in the knee joints without as well as with objective symptoms of RA were higher than in control patients. Radio-iodinated fibrinogen was demonstrated on the synovial villous surface, on the area of inflammatory cellular infiltration and stromal necrosis, and on the perivascular region of the synovial tissue from the knee joints of patients with RA, not only with, but also without clinical objective symptoms and histopathologic findings of fibrinoid necrosis, vascular superficial fibrinoid coating and fibrinoid degeneration of vascular wall. It is suggested that fibrinogen plays a role even in the early synovial tissue lesions of knee joints affected by RA.