FLOW CYTOMETRIC EVALUATION OF TRANSFERRIN RECEPTOR IN TRANSITIONAL-CELL CARCINOMA

We evaluated flow cytometric (FCM) analysis of transferrin receptor (T FR) expression as a marker for the malignant potential in transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). TCCs from 55 patients were analyzed by FCM usin g an anti-TFR monoclonal antibody (CD71) and a TCC-specific monoclonal antibody (EH14), which recognizes most TCC cells irrespective of the grade. The cells were divided into subpopulations according to DNA plo idy determined simultaneously. TFR expression correlated well with the grade and the stage of the tumors. TFR expression of the aneuploid tu mors was significantly higher than that of the euploid tumors in all s ubpopulations. EH14 expression did not correlate with the grade or the stage of the tumors. EH14 expression of the aneuploid tumors was sign ificantly higher than that of the euploid tumors in the whole cell pop ulation but not in the subpopulations. In moderately differentiated tu mors or in T1 tumors, TFR expression was higher in multiple or recurre nt tumors than in simple tumors. The cell size or shape were not the p rimary reasons for the enhanced expression of TFR in the high-grade or the high-stage tumors; instead, overproduction of TFR may take place in these tumors. Clinically, many of the TCC tumors are grouped into G 2 or T1 tumors, some of which will be invasive cancers. Quantitative a nalysis of TFR expression using FCM may be useful to predict the progn osis of these tumors.