The antisera raised against human milk fat globule (also known as epithelial membrane antigen, EMA) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were used to stain a variety of malignancies by the indirect immunoperoxidase method. The purpose was the evaluation of a valuable role in diagnostic tumor histopathology as an indicator of epithelial differentiation.
The results obtained are as follows:
1. Thirty-five cases among 60 malignant tumors were positive for EMA, whereas 30 cases were positive for CEA.
2. Among 40 epithelial malignancies 33 cases were positive for EMA and 27 cases for CEA. Malignant tumors of thyroid, adenoid cystic carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma were negative for both EMA and CEA.
3. All 18 cases melanoma, germ cell tumors, brain tumors, lymphomas and bone tumors were negative for EMA and CEA, except one immature teratoma showing a positive staining along the luminal borders of glandular components.
4. EMA was confined to the cytoplasmic membrane in well differentiated tumors, but also present in the cytoplasm of the poorly differentiated tumors. CEA was found in the cell membranes and cytoplasm in all grade of malignancies.
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