Immunohistochemical Study on Carcinoembryonic Antigen and Cancer-associated Carbohydrate Antigens in Tumor of the Papilla of Vater

Abstract

To reveal the cell-biological character of carcinoma of the papilla of Vater, localization and distribution of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and 5 cancer-associated carbohydrate antigens (CA19-9, CA50, Sialyl Le^x-i, Le^x, and Le^y) were studied in 16 carcinomas, 9 adenomas, and 4 specimens of normal tissue by the avidin-biotin-complex (ABC) immunohistochemical technique. CEA was present in 93.8% and CA50 in 81.3% of the carcinomas CEA, CA50 and the other antigens were mostly located in the cytoplasm as well as on the apical membrane of the cancer cells. CEA was present in 100% and CA50 in 77.8% of the specimens of adenoma in carcinoma tissue. In adenoma cells, CEA was located in the upper half of the cytoplasm as well as on the apical and basolateral surfaces (77.8%), whereas CA50, Le^x and Le^y were predominant on the apical surfaces alone (77.8%). These findings suggest that adenoma arises from the normal mucosa of the papilla of Vater, but that it might be different from cancer in terms of the intensity and the grade of each antigen.