Abstract
In a previous study, we detected in human serum two immunoreactive bFGF-like (bFGF-LI) substances, a high-molecular-weight form (designated as HMW-bFGF-LI) and a 16-kDa form. In this current work, we partially purified these two Immunoreactive bFGFs from sera of patients with breast cancer by heparin-affinity chromatography and gel filtration, and further investigated their immunochemical properties and biological activities. As a result, we found that the antigenicity of the two immunoreactive bFGFs was identical to that of recombinant bFGF. And the mitogenic activity toward BALB/c3T3 fibroblasts of the 16-kDa bFGF-LI was equal to that of recombinant bFGF, whereas the mitogenic effect of HMW-bFGF-LI was weak. The mitogenic activity of the two Immunoreactive bFGFs was completely inhibited by the addition of neutralizing antibody. The mitogenic activity of the 16-kDa bFGF-LI was increased by the addition of dexamethasone, whereas that of HMW-bFGF-LI was unaffected by the drug.
