Carcino-embryonic antigen may function as a chemo-attractant in colorectal-carcinoma cell lines

Locomotion of colorectal-carcinoma cells was tested in order to establish w hether it might be affected by carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). CEA producti on, cell growth and DNA ploidy were measured in 22 colorectal-carcinoma cel l lines. A cell-invasion assay was adapted using a transfilter chamber, the lower surface of which was coated with various substrates in the amount of 5 mu g/filter (CEA, type-IV collagen, laminin). Cells infiltrated into the lower surface of the filter were counted over 9-microscope fields (x400). All cell lines produced CEA, 9 producing more than 100 ng/ml medium. Of the total, 8 cell lines were diploid and 14 were aneuploid. Invasiveness, meas ured by the number of infiltrated cells, was highest in CEA-coated filters, and next highest in type-IV-collagen- and laminin coated filters, in desce nding order (P < 0.001-0.05). Invasiveness of each cell line was closely co rrelated with 2 substrates. Poorly differentiated or advanced-stage tumors were more invasive than well differentiated or early-stage tumors (p < 0.00 1-0.05). However, invasiveness was not associated with DNA ploidy or CEA pr oduction. CEA may function as a chemo-attractant as well as an adhesion mol ecule in colorectal-carcinoma cell lines. In addition, adhesion to CEA appe ars to be related to type-IV collagen and laminin. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc .