Immunocytochemical Localization of Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP), and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) in Cervical Neoplasia

Abstract

Sixty-one cases of invasive cervical carcinoma and 40 cases of dysplasia and carcinoma in situ were studied by peroxidase-antiperoxidase method (PAP) for the presence of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Forty-two cases (13 carcinomas in situ and 29 invasive carcinomas) also were tested for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin hCG. CEA was not detected in normal cervical epithelium but was present in 90% of the neoplastic lesions. Not mere presence, but a pattern of CEA tissue distribution emerged as the main differential point between noninvasive and invasive lesions. Twenty-nine of 51 invasive squamous carcinomas (57%) contained CEA-positive cells at the stromal edge of epithelium, while this feature was not found in dysplasia and carcinoma in situ. Adenocarcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas all were positive for CEA, while clear-cell carcinomas were negative. AFP was present only in a case of poorly differentiated adenosquamous ("glassy cell") carcinoma. hCG has not been revealed in any of the tumors.

Immunohistochemical Localization of Carcinoembryonic Antigen(CEA) in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix: Prognostic Significance of Localization Pattern of CEA.

“…A similar study has been described by Bychkov et al (1983), who distinguished invasive type of squamous cell carcinomas from non-invasive one depending on difference in distribution of CEA. They noticed positive staining for CEA in the layers adjacent to stroma in invasive lesions, and called the histologic feature as "CEA marginal effect".…”

“…It was first described to be specific to colonic carcinoma, but later demonstrated in the sera of patients with various other malignancies. In case of carcinoma of the uterine cervix, CEA was found not only in the sera from patients (van Nagell et al 1978;Fritsche et al 1982; Kjorstad and Qrjasaester 1982;to Velde et al 1982) but also in tumor tissues (Lindgren et al 1979;van Nagell et al 1982;Bychkov et al 1983;McDicken and Rainey 1983).…”

hCGβ expression by cervical squamous carcinoma –in vivo histological association with tumour invasion and apoptosis

“…Since that time, many studies have investigated hCGβ expression in cervical carcinomas and its role in the genesis of cervical cancer; however, the results have been inconsistent and the role of hCGβ expression in cervical squamous carcinoma is unclear. One early report failed to detect hCGβ in any of 43 cervical invasive squamous cell carcinomas by immunohistochemistry, 20 and two other studies showed 28% and 52% hCGβ immunopositivity respectively 21,22 . Subsequent surgical specimens further showed hCGβ reactivity only in the hCGβ immunopositive group 22 .…”

Cervical carcinoma antigen: Distribution in neoplastic lesions of the uterine cervix and comparison to other tumor markers

“…The recent development of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies have provided a new approach to the detection of cell surface and circulating tumor-specific antigens. CEA has been demonstrated in a high percentage of cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [13,12]. In addition, Lindgren and associates [17] have reported a direct correlation between the frequency of tissue CEA positivity and the histologic degree of severity of cervical neoplastic lesions.…”