Occurrence of a thermostable antigen of ovarian carcinoma in normal tissues and secretions

Thermostable antigen (TA) occurs in ovarian carcinoma and in certain specialized tissues. High titers of TA were found in nineteen of twenty endocervical extracts but not in myometrium, endometrium, or exocervix. TA was present in all of sixteen cervical mucus samples. Antibodies to perchloric acid extract of bronchus showed cross‐reactivity with TA from ovarian carcinoma and cervix. Immunofluorescence with frozen sections revealed TA to be present in the columnar epithelium of ovarian neoplasms, and endocervical glands, in bronchial seromucous glands and in hepatic bile canaliculi. Immunofluorescence and immunodiffusion were used to test for cancer patient antibodies against TA. All sera tested negative. An immunofluorescence inhibition test for circulating TA also tested negative in sera of ovarian and cervical cancer patients.