TPS IN HELA-TISSUE CULTURE IS NOT A PROLIFERATION MARKER

The aim of the experiments was to determine whether the tumor marker t ermed Specific Tissue Polypeptide Antigen (TPS) is a proliferation mar ker. The release of TPS was studied in proliferating as well as X-ray treated HeLa-cell tissue cultures. We found no increase in the TPS lev els per cell during the growth phase, a slight increase at the beginni ng of the stationary phase, and a significant dose-related increase in the irradiated cells. The release of TPS by cells therefore appears t o be related to the cell death rate, not the cell proliferation.