Renal oncocytoma: immuno- and carbohydrate histochemical characterization.

Samples from renal and thyroid oncocytomas were studied with antibodies against intermediate filament proteins, nephron site specific antigens and nephron segment specific lectins to gather information on the immunohistological and carbohydrate histochemical features of these tumours. The results show a surprising failure of most antibodies and lectins used to react with the oncocytomas, although readily staining the surrounding normal tissue areas. No immunohistological evidence for derivation of oncocytomas from proximal tubular epithelial cells could thus be found. Instead, Triticum vulgaris (wheat germ agglutinin; WGA) and Concanavalin A (ConA) lectins were seen to stain the oncocytes specifically, suggesting that these lectins are useful to further characterize oncocytomas.