[Immunological demonstration of large quantities of glycogen or of a glycogen-like substance in human embryonic colon cells and in colon carcinomas by means of rabbit antisera raised against a strain of Escherichia coli 013].

Rabbit antisera raised against a strain of E. coli 013, with a strong antiglycogen activity, were tested on human fetal and normal adult colons, on colon carcinomas, and on colon tumor cells in culture (HT29). Only very rare granules were present in adult normal colons when tested with the immunofluorescence method. In faetal colons, in 12 out of 14 carcinomas, and on HT29 cells, the immunofluorescent reactions were similar to those observed in normal liver. The reactions were negative after previous treatment with alpha-amylase. They were inhibited with glycogen, with phenol-alcohol, perchloric, and trichloroacetic extracts from faetal colons, and with a tumor trichloroacetic extract. The extracts precipitated with anti-E. coli 013 antisera. They had a strong inhibiting activity in a radioimmunoassay test with labeled glycogen. The extracts from normal adult colons did not precipitate with the antisera and they had no inhibiting activity in either immunofluorescence and radioimmunoassay tests.