Human lung organ-specific antigens on normal lung, lung tumors, and a lung tumor cell line.

An antiserum raised in rabbits against a lung tumor cell line (2563) was selected from a library of antisera against normal and malignant human lung, lung tumor cell lines, and fetal tissues and was found by complement fixation, immunofluorescence, and saturation binding assays to contain antibodies for antigens characteristic of those found in normal lung. Studies with the adsorbed antiserum (A49) revealed: 1) An antigen was shared by normal lung and normal kidney (NLK-1) 2) lung tissue-specific antigen(s) were present on normal lung tissue (NL-1); 3) NL-1 was found on both external and internal cell membranes; and 4) NL-1, in addition to being present on normal lung and the adenocarcinoma-derived cell line 2563, was present on 1 of 2 metastatic lung adenocarcinomas but on none of 4 metastatic lung tumors of other histologic types.