A study has been made of the distribution of nonglucosamine polysaccharide in the serum protein fractions of sera from patients with carcinoma, benign tumors, arthritis, and infections. A method employing fraction of the serum proteins with sodium sulfate and ammonium sulfate was used. Sera of carcinoma patients exhibited a greatly elevated content of polysaccharide in the albumin fraction in 45 of 48 cases. Only part of this increase was due to polysaccharide in the mucoprotein fraction. The polysaccharide associated with albumin showed smaller elevations in sera of patients with arthritis, benign tumors, and bacterial infections. The α-globulin polysaccharide was elevated significantly in carcinoma and in arthritis. Polysaccharide of the β-globulin fraction was elevated significantly in arthritis and in viral and bacterial infections. No alterations were noted in the polysaccharide content of the γ-globulin fraction.

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This work was supported by a grant from the American Cancer Society on the recommendation of the Committee on Growth of the National Research Council, and by funds from the John Archer Hatchett Memorial Fund.

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©1950 American Association for Cancer Research.
1950
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