Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-cell surface anchored glycoprotein, first identified in tissue extracts from human colon tumors. The CEA family of genes is part of the immunoglobulin superfamily. In humans, the CEA family consists of 29 genes, 18 of which are normally expressed only during fetal development. Therefore, CEA is not detectable in the blood of healthy adults, but CEA expression is observed in many types of cancer.
The measurement of CEA levels has been used in diagnostic tests for colorectal carcinoma, gastric carcinoma, pancreatic carcinoma, lung carcinoma, and breast carcinoma, and to detect cancer recurrence after surgical removal of tumors. CEA levels are also elevated in other diseases, like ulcerative colitis, pancreatitis, cirrhosis, COPD, and Crohn's disease, as well as in smokers. Immunohistochemical tests using anti-CEA antibodies are used to distinguish different types of carcinomas.
Alternate names for CEA include carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule, CD66, meconium antigen, biliary glycoprotein, and BGP.
Antibodies for CEA Detection
These products are affinity-purified IgG antibodies that recognize human CEA. The antibodies were raised in mouse using human CEA, and can be used for immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of human CEA.
Proteins for CEA Detection
These products are proteins from human gastric cancer cell line (MKN-45) supernatant, purified by liquid chromatography. Immunological cross-reactive proteins, such as nonspecific cross-reacting antigen (NCA), are removed by affinity purification. These proteins are suitable for control experiments for detection of human CEA.
