Abstract

Recently, extensive uses of lectins as cytochemical markers have made of studies for various epithelial and nonepithelial neoplasia, however, investigations of epithelial cell surface of transitional cell carcinomas of the urinary bladder have been few. Thus, the atuhors performed a study of PNA binding in the authors performed a study of PNA binding in transitional cell carcinomas with comparision with that in normal mucosa of the urinary bladder to allow more accurate diagnosis and histological grade or degree of differentiation. The results of this study are as follows: 1) PNA shows negative reactions on all ten normal mucosae of the urinary bladder but positive staining at the glycocalyx of umbrellar cells in two cases. 2) PNA shows negative reactions on all four cases of von Brun'n nests and cystitis cystica. 3) PNA shows positive reactions on thirty (50%) of total sixty-one cases of transitional cell carcinomas and reveals two (20%), nine (41%), eleven (55%) and eight (88%) cases in grade I, II, III and IV, respectively. 4) PNA shows positive reactions on the intracytoplasm and/or degree of PNA binding activity in grade I to IV transitional cell carcinomas is not statistically significantly different (p>0.05). In summary, PNA did not react with normal nucosa and metaplastic lesions such as von Brunn's nests and cystitis cystica, however, it reacted with 50% (30/61 cases) of transitional cell carcinoma and its positivity is significantly increased with gradings of transitional cell carcinomas (p<0.05).

• Keywords: Transitional cell carcinoma;Immunohistochemistry;PNA;