Immunohistological Studies on Ovarian Epithelial Cystic Tumors with Monoclonal Antibodies against CEA, CA 19-9, and MAM-6

Abstract

Ovarian epithelial cystic tumors, 132 samples of which were classified to 69 mucinous and 63 serous tumors, were observed immunohistologically with 3 monoclonal antibodies ; CEA 010, anti-CA 19-9 antibody, and MAM 115D8, respectively, in addition to 20 non-neoplastic ovarian tissues with fallopian tubes. The antigen expression with CEA 010 in the mucinous tumors were observed in 7% of benign, 33% of borderline and 65% of malignant ones, respectively. On the contrary, this expression was never detected in the serous tumors as well as non-neoplastic ovarian tissues. Therefore, the application of CEA 010 may be one of the choice for differential diagnosis of the mucinous cystadenocarcinoma from the serous one and for the estimation of malignancy of the mucinous tumors. Anti-CA 19-9 antibody revealed a higher positivity (36% in benign, 67% in borderline and 94% in malignant) in the mucinous tumors, but it showed also positive findings (13% in benign, 24% in borderline and 32% in malignant) in the serous tumors. MAM 115D8 expressed MAM antigen in most cases of the examined tumors, as well as surface epithelia, lining cells of inclusion cysts and fallopian tubal cells in nonneoplastic ovarian tissues. In general, staining patterns of the expression were apically cytoplasmic and homologous in normal and benignly tumorous tissues, but they were diffusely intracytoplasmic and heterologous in the malignant one.