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Abstract

Two lines of evidence led to the investigation of human teratocarcinoma cells in vitro for oncogenic retroviruses: the observation by electron microscopy of retrovirus-like particles budding from the syncytial trophoblasts of human placentas, and the demonstration that teratocarcinoma patients before treatment show a high serum antibody reactivity against envelope proteins of mammalian retroviruses. In all 5 teratocarcinoma cell lines studied so far, retrovirus-like particles have been detected by electron microscopy. The production of these human teratocarcinoma-derived (HTD)-particles is enhanced by induction procedures known to be effective in animal virus model systems. In parallel, virus induction also increases the level of chorionic gonadotropin in the culture supernatant, demonstrating syncytial trophoblast-like cells in the heterogeneous cell population of teratocarcinomas which could be responsible for HTD-particle production. The origin of these virus-like particles--endogenous or exogenous--as well as their role in the pathogenesis of teratocarcinomas is not known so far. The potential value of serum antibody reactivity in teratocarcinoma patients as a diagnostic marker is discussed.