AMA is the antibody to Malignin, a 10,000 Dalton polypeptide which has been found to be present in most malignant cells regardless of cell type or location (refs.1 to 8 ). Unlike tests such as CEA , which measure less well-defined antigens whose serum levels tend to be inconstant but elevated late in the disease, the AMAS test measures a well-defined antibody whose serum levels rise early in the course of the disease. In some cases, the AMAS test has been positive (elevated) early , i.e. 1 to 19 months before clinical detection.
All of the data, from both Bogoch et al. (ref.4 ) and from the independent study performed by SmithKline Laboratories(ref.6 ) support the fact that the AMA (Anti-Malignin Antibody) is elevated almost regardless of the site or cell type of the malignancy; that is, AMA is a general transformation antibody, not just for one particular kind of cancer. For sera shipped overnight, false positives are 5% and false negatives 7% (3,315 double-blind tests of patients and controls, refs.4, 6 and 8 ).
