Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) both in normal and neoplastic urinary bladders has been studied by immunocytochemistry. A comparison of TPA with epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), keratins and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in various tumor grades and stages has been performed better to define TPA role in bladder carcinomas. Well-differentiated tumors were strongly stained for TPA with a uniform staining intensity. Undifferentiated tumors were weakly stained for TPA with an uneven staining intensity. There was no relation between TPA findings and stages of invasion. However, TPA seems to be a very helpful diagnostic tool for tumor grading and staging.

Increasing attention has been given to hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). This report provides medical genetic/pathologic findings on an HNPCC kindred from southern Italy that shows criteria consistent with Lynch syndrome II. An international collaborative effort led to extension of this kindred with disclosure of a potentially new spectrum of phenotypic findings: an excess of gastric carcinoma; complete intestinal metaplasia and chronic atrophic gastritis restricted to the antrum; an apparent excess of colonic mucosal macrophagia, which by special stain appeared to be positive for mucin, with a constant content of both sialo and sulfomucin, a lack of iron, and an inconstant positivity for lysozyme obtained by immunoperoxidase technique; and findings of crypt atrophy of the colonic mucosa. During the relatively short period of investigation of this family, an intensive educational and surveillance program has been mounted in the interest of improving cancer control through direct application of knowledge of natural history and the risk factor evidence through pedigree assessment.

No abstract

Gastrointestinal biopsies from 18 members of a family with Lynch Syndrome II were evaluated and immunocytochemical studies were made to characterize the phenotypic expression of the tissue's immune populations. The intestinal findings suggest polyclonal B-cell activation related to the T-helper distribution. Our evaluation provides no specific information so far on the management of patients with Lynch Syndrome II.