ABH isoantigens, histology and DNA ploidy in 36 consecutive patients with transitional cell bladder cancer. Status of tumor and biopsies taken from visually normal urothelium.

Tumors and biopsies from visibly normal urothelium in 36 consecutive patients with transitional cell bladder carcinoma were analysed for histological pathology, DNA ploidy and ABH isoantigens. Tumor isoantigen deletion correlated strongly with malignant histology (p = 0.016) and aneuploidy (p = 0.005). In 4/12 patients with ABH isoantigens present on the tumor, and in 6/8 with isoantigens absent, isoantigen changes were found in normal looking urothelium, usually with normal histology and ploidy. It was concluded that the ABH isoantigen change was an early event in bladder carcinoma.