Detection of the Hanganutziu-Deicher Antigen in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The heterophilic Hanganutziu-Deicher (H-D) antigen, is a tumor-associated antigen of humans and chickens which is not detectable in normal individuals. H-D antibodies have been found in the sera of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and various underlying liver diseases. However, the H-D antigen has not yet been detected in liver tissue. HCC cells obtained from 15 patients were examined for the presence of the H-D antigen using two chicken anti-H-D monoclonal antibodies by flow cytometry (FCM). The H-D antigen (glycolipid type) was detected in three of the 15 HCC samples. Serum IgG and/or IgM type H-D antibodies were increased in 12 of the patients (80%). Thirteen patients were positive for either HBsAg or anti-HCV where the other two were negative for both. This suggests that hepatitis virus is involved in the expression of H-D antigen. These results indicate that increased levels of those antibodies are attributable to the expression of H-D antigen in HCC.