Differential distribution of the pancreatic cancer-associated antigen (PCAA) and pancreatic tissue antigen (PaA) in pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancer tissues.
PCAA, a glycoprotein antigen fractionated from the ascites fluid of a patient with pancreatic cancer and sharing an identical immunogenicity with Gelder's POA, and PaA, a novel pancreatic tissue antigen, were studied immunohistologically. Serial paraffin sections were prepared from surgical specimens of 11 cases of pancreatic cancer, 15 of gastric cancer, 12 of colonic cancer, and 2 of gallbladder cancer; these were then subjected to immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase stainings. In noncancerous tissues, PCAA was detected unexpectedly at goblet cells of the whole intestine, but was completely absent in pancreatic tissues, while PaA was not demonstrated in intestinal tissues, but was positive at acinar cells of the pancreas. In pancreatic cancer tissues, PCAA and PaA were detected at apical cytoplasm of cancer cells, although positive cells were in different proportions and had different distributions. PCAA-positive cells were mucin-producing (positive in PAS-alcian blue staining) and were well differentiated histologically, while PaA-positive cells were less differentiated and poor in mucin production. Among 11 cases of pancreatic cancer, both PCAA- and PaA-positive cells were demonstrated in 3 cases, PCAA-positive cells alone were found in 3 cases, and PaA-positive cells alone were seen in 4 cases. In 27 gastrointestinal cancer tissues, PCAA was detected in 7 cases of mucin-producing cancer, and PaA was demonstrated in 2 cases of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis*; D011817:Rabbits; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C031192:oncofetal antigens; C019454:pancreas-specific antigen