Development of Detection System for Thyroid Carcinoma Specific Antigen and its Function Analysis

2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 13671270
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General surgery
• Research Institution: Kagawa Prefectural College of Health Science
• Principal Investigator: KATO Ryoji Kagawa Prefectural College of Health Science, Medical Technology, Professor, 臨床検査学科, 教授 (00233833)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): AMAKAWA Masao Kagawa Prefectural College of Health Science, Medical Technology, Assistant lecturer, 臨床検査学科, 助手 (80331867) ; MANABE Noriko Kagawa Prefectural College of Health Science, Medical Technology, Lecturer, 臨床検査学科, 講師 (80321264) ; MARUYAMA Masayuki Shinshu University School of Medicine, Surgery, Assistant lecturer, 医学部・第二外科, 助手 (60324258) ; OTA Yasuhiko Kagawa Prefectural College of Health Science, Medical Technology, Assistant lecturer, 臨床検査学科, 助手 (20321268)
• Project Period (FY): 2001 – 2002
• Keywords: Thyroid Cancer / Monoclonal antibody / Sugar chain / Lectin / ELISA / Western blotting

Research Abstract

The aim of this study was to differentiate thyroid papillary carcinoma from the other. We first developed monoclonal antibodies that could specifically recognize a thyroid tumor-associated antigen, which enabled us to investigate the expression of this antigen in various tissues by western blotting and ELISA. We developed two types of monoclonal antibodies such as thyroid carcinoma antibodies (CAb) and thyroglobulin (Tg) antibodies (TgAb). Using the TgAb, an ELISA system was established to differentiate thyroid cancer tissues from normal thyroid tissue, based on the previous observation that there are differences in the reactivity with lectins between the sugar chains in thyroid cancer associated Tg and normal Tg. In western blotting using CAb, a protein of about 40kDa was observed in all the papillary carcinoma associated tissue specimens. In contrast, the 40kDa band was never detected in any of the other thyroid tissues. Subsequently, the ratios of unbound serum Tg {Tg-unbound (%)} in various thyroid diseases were investigated by ELISA using LCA lectin. The Tg-unbound (%) in papillary carcinoma was significantly higher than that observed in benign goiter and in normal controls. These results clearly indicate that the monoclonal antibody-based western blotting and lectin-based ELISA would significantly contribute to diagnose patients with thyroid papillary carcinoma. Monoclonal antibodies specific for the 40 kDa protein is under development.