Immunohistochemical demonstration of blood group antigens in neoplastic and normal human urothelium: a comparison with standard red cell adherence.

The specific red cell adherence test as a method to detect blood group antigen deletion in urothelial malignancy has been reported to yield approximately 40 per cent false negative results in 0 blood group patients. Our study of multiple sections of 8 normal ureters from blood group 0 patients and more than 220 specimens of transitional cell cancer taken from 48 patients reveals that the immunoperoxidase technique is more specific than the specific red cell adherence method in predicting subsequent invasion in blood group O(H) patients presenting with superficial transitional cell carcinomas (71 compared to 29 per cent) but is no more specific for tumors containing A or B antigens. However, immunoperoxidase staining does improve discernment of underlying histologic detail and, thereby, facilitates recognition of false positive antigen testing associated with squamous and adenomatous metaplasia. Areas of squamous and adenomatous metaplasia in specimens we tested were frequently antigen positive in invasive tumors. Therefore, we believe that these areas must be disregarded in determining antigen deletion in transitional cell carcinomas.