B. Slesak et al., POLYMORPHIC EPITHELIAL MUCIN (PEM) EPITOPES IN THE ESTIMATION OF THE SEQUENCE OF NEOPLASTIC CHANGES IN COLON ADENOCARCINOMA, Tumori, 79(1), 1993, pp. 66-70
Aims: The relation between the expression of PEM epitopes and the sequ
ence of neoplastic changes in individual patients with colon adenocarc
inoma was investigated. Methodc: Immunohistochemical staining was perf
ormed using four monoclonal antibodies to PEM epitopes (139H2. 140C1,
115D8, 115F5) on tissue sections from frankly malignant lesions adjace
nt mucosa, colonic mucosa taken 1 cm and 5 cm from the lesion and norm
al control mucosa. Results: A clear correlation between PEM expression
and the site of mucosa sampling was demonstrated. The expression of P
EM molecules defined by all Studied monoclonal antibodies was highest
in colon adenocarcinoma, similar but slightly weaker in adjacent mucos
a and colon mucosa taken 1 cm from the frankly malignant lesion, lowes
t in mucosa 5 cm from the lesion, and virtually absent in control norm
al colonic mucosa. Conclusions: The immunological changes could be one
of the first signs of a premalignant process and the estimation of PE
M epitopes could show some cellular abnormalities not detectable by st
andard pathomorphological criteria.