Autoradiographic analysis of radiolabeled anti-carcinoembryonic antigen monoclonal antibody CEA 102 in colorectal cancer using computed radiography

Anti-carcinoembryonic antigen monclonal antibody (MAb) CEA 102 was produced by immunization with purified CEA and the specific accumulation of radiolabeled CEA 102 in colorectal cancers was investigated by autoradiography of sugical specimens using Fuji Computed Radiography (FCR). Five patients with colorectal cancer were injected intravenously with 131I-labeled intact CEA 102 or its F(ab')2. Primary tumor and liver metastases were successfully detected by external scanning with a gamma camera in 4 cases. Autoradiographic study of the surgical specimens using FCR showed predominant localization of 131I-labeled CEA 102 in primary tumors and liver metastases in all cases. Even a small liver metastasis (0.5 cm) was clearly visualized in the autoradiogram by FCR. The pixel distribution curves of the density of the respective tissues in the autoradiograms by FCR showed the heterogeneity of the distribution of administreted radiolabeled MAb in individual tumors, but the density of the tumors was higher than the normal tissues. In the quantitative distribution analysis of CEF 102, the uptake of the primary tumor (mean 1.10% ID/kg) was ten-fold greater than that of the normal colon mucosa (mean 0.10% ID/kg). These results revealed that the application of MAb has great potential in radioimmunodetection as well as in antibody-directed therapy. (auhtor)