CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Vol 20, 102-105, Copyright
© 1970 by American Cancer Society
Immunologic and Virus Studies With Human Sarcomas
D. L. Morton M.D.,
R. A. Malmgren M.D.,
W. T. Hall Ph.D., and
G. Schidlovsky B.S.
Immunofluorescent studies have revealed a high incidence of antibodies to osteosarcomas in the serums of patients with this disease and their close associates which react with a common antigen(s) in osteosarcomas. The distribution of these antibodies suggests the association of an infectious agent with this neoplasm which is capable of producing unrecognized infections in healthy contacts of these patients.
Three human sarcomas have been established in tissue culture. Cell-free extracts from an osteosarcoma cell line have induced antigenic and morphologic transformation of normal human embryo fibroblasts in tissue culture and leukemias in mice.
An electron microscopic study has revealed type C virus particles, similar to the avian and murine sarcoma viruses, in tissue cultures of a human liposarcoma. Also, intracisternal type A particles have been found in thin sections of tissues from a human chondrosarcoma.
These studies suggest the close association of an infectious agent with some human sarcomas. The identification of this agent and elucidation of its role in the etiology of human neoplastic disease remain to be determined.