This antibody is CEA specific. It does not recognize NCA, neither in enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) not on Western blots of crude tissue extracts. This antibody binds to CEA producing human adenocarcinoma cells (e.g. LS174T,WiDr) but does not bind to CEA non-secreting human adenocarcinoma cells (Colo 320DM). It does not immunostain cryocuts of any normal human tissues tested (artery, heart muscle, kidney, large bowel, liver, lung, skeletal muscle, skin, small gut, spleen, testes or vein) neither does it react with any antigens on human blood cells when separated by fluoresceine actuated cell sorter (FACS). Immunohistochemical analysis of cancerous tissues revealed that the antibody bound selectively adenocarcinoma and not carcinoid tumor of the colon, as well as tumor- associated CEA in breast, gastric and lung neoplasms, while there was no immunohistochemical evidence of cross-reactivity with NCA. A remarkable feature of this antibody is its ability to distinguish immunohistochemically between cancer and residual normal tissue within the same organ.