LUMINAL EPITHELIAL ANTIGEN (LEA.135) EXPRESSION CORRELATES WITH TUMORPROGRESSION FOR TRANSITIONAL CARCINOMA OF THE BLADDER

Luminal epithelial antigen (LEA.135) expression has been shown to have prognostic significance in breast carcinoma however its relationship to tumor progression in other forms of malignancy is unknown. This stu dy evaluates LEA.135 expression in bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and compares the findings with tumor stage and grade and polycl onal Ki-67 derived cell cycle activity. LEA.135 expression was evaluat ed by immunohistochemical staining using the streptavidin-biotin metho d. Staining distribution was graded 0 to 4 and the results were compar ed with World Health Organisation tumor grade, UICC TNM stage and frac tion of actively cycling cells showing positive pKi-67 immunohistochem ical staining. In normal bladder epithelium, LEA.135 staining was conf ined to the luminal surface of superficial epithelium. In lower grade, superficial TCC LEA.135 overexpression was noted and there was a prog ressive loss of expression in tumors of higher grade (p = 0.0001) and advanced stage (p = 0.0001). No LEA.135 staining was seen in carcinoma -in-situ. Loss of LEA.135 expression correlates with tumor progression for bladder TCC.