THE STUDY OF ABH ISOANTIGEN OF SUPERFICIAL UROTHELIAL TUMOR AND CARCINOMA IN SITU OF THE BLADDER BY THE AVIDIN-BIOTIN PEROXIDASE COMPLEX (ABC) METHOD

Abstract

ABH isoantigen of 154 superficial urothelial tumor including 11 carcinoma in situ of the bladder was investigated by the avidin-biothin-peroxidase complex (ABC) method, and the results were compared with those obtained by the specific red cell adherence test (SRCA).
Antigenicity as detected by ABC method seemed to be correlated to tumor grade and recurrence rate, while that by SRCA method did not. 62 percent of the low grade papillary bladder tumor of blood group other than O was positive by ABC method, while only 25 percent was positive by SRCA method. As for the recurrence rate of low grade tumor, 11 of 33 cases (33%) with positive ABH showed recurrence during the minimum 3 years' followup period, while 13 of 21 cases (62%) without ABH isoantigens did so in blood group other than O. In carcinoma in situ of the bladder, it was found that ABH antigen was deleted in 82 percent of the patients using ABC method. Even among the patients who were initially positive by both methods, antigenicity tended to be deleted as clinical course progressed.
The advantages of ABC method are: 1) it is more sensitive and more specific than SRCA and peroxidase anti peroxidase (PAP) method, 2) in blood group O, the sensitivity was increased, 3) the technique is simple, and 4) many slides can be processed at one time. In view of the fact, however that the urothelial tissues processed in alcohol show variable reduction of their reactivity, it was suggested that the current method needs to be reappraised for accurate interpretation of tissue ABH reactivity.