Immunohistochemical finding with CA 19-9 in pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis

F. Safi, R. Roscher, K. Baczako, H. G. Beger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

CA 19-9 represents a highly sensitive marker for the pancreatic carcinoma (PC) in the differential diagnosis between PC and chronic pancreatitis (CP), due to the fact that 73% of the PC patients had CA 19-9 serum concentration of above 12o U/ml in contrast to 6% in CP patients. The incidence and significance of the expression of the antigen by the monoclonal antibody CA 19-9 has been assessed in pancreatic tissue. Formalin-fixed, Paraffin embedded specimens of normal, chronically inflamed and pancreatic cancer tissues were examined using an immunoperoxidase technique (IP). Both the luminal surface of the pancreatic acini epithel cells and the secreted material found in the lumen stain strongly with the antibody of 68% of the patients with pancreatic carcinoma, whereas the staining pattern obtained by the antibody on tissue sections of chronic pancreatitis showed a negative staining concentration of antigen on the cell surface in 78% of the patients. None of the sections from normal pancreas was stained strongly by the antibody. Sera from 35 patients with PC and 29 patients with CP were collected prior to surgical resection. Tissues from both (CP and PC) were stained by IP for monosialoganglioside antigen. The results established in IP assay were correlated with presence or absence of the same antigen in the patients serum. The CA 19-9 antigen serum concentration reflects the antigen condition on cell surface, so in the immunotherapy of pancreatic cancer it is probably sufficient to determine the antigen concentration in the serum.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)195-200
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Tumor Marker Oncology
Volume2
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 1987
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cancer Research

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