ANTIBODIES TO BLADDER-TUMOR-ASSOCIATED ANTIGENS AS PROGNOSIS PROBES IN THE FLOW-CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Monoclonal antibodies directed against bladder tumor cells (10D1, 7C12 , 6D 1, 3C6, G4 and E7) and human leukocyte antigen (HLe1) were tested by flow cytometry on 68 bladder tumors involving 10 grade I, 29 grade II and 29 grade III tumors (WHO classification). According to their e volution stage, these tumors can be subdivided into 17 stage Pa, 34 st age P 1, 7 stage P2 and 10 stage P3. Fifteen normal bladder samples we re used as a control. Analysis of DNA content revealed a first group o f 31 tumors with a unimodal DNA profile. In the second group of 37 tum ors, the DNA profile was bimodal. Cells from grade I tumors were label led with 10D1 and 6D1 antibodies; all these cells showed a unimodal DN A profile. Grade III tumor cells were labelled with antibodies G4 and E7; most of these cells showed a bimodal DNA profile. The percentage o f HLe1-positive cells decreased with the pathological grade and stage of tumor. The composition of infiltrating leukocytes was different in unimodal and bimodal tumors. In conclusion, cells of low-grade tumors can be identified with 10D1 and 6D1 antibodies, and antigens recognize d by G4 and E7 antibodies are mostly expressed by aneuploid cells. HLe 1 antibody demonstrates the importance of the inflammatory reaction in bladder tumors. Moreover, in flow cytometry, leukocytes within a tumo r could be used as internal reference for precise measurement of the D NA content of tumor cells.