Immunocytochemical detection of amylase, carboxypeptidase A, carcinoembryonic antigen and alpha 1-antitrypsin in carcinomas of the exocrine pancreas of the dog.

The immunocytochemical detection of amylase, carboxypeptidase A, alpha 1-antitrypsin, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and keratin in normal canine pancreatic tissue and in carcinomas of the exocrine pancreas of the dog is described. In the normal pancreas, the acinar cells contain amylase, carboxypeptidase and alpha 1-antitrypsin. The pancreatic ducts react with the antikeratin antibody. Twelve out of 14 pancreatic exocrine carcinomas showed immunoreaction with antiamylase antibody, and 10 with anticarboxypeptidase antibody. Five neoplasms reacted with anti-CEA antibody and three with the anti-alpha 1-antitrypsin antibody. It was not possible to find any systematic difference in the immunocytochemical profiles of acinar, tubular and undifferentiated carcinomas. These results indicate that immunocytochemical marking of amylase and carboxypeptidase is of value in the diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasms in the dog, especially if metastasis is the only material available for study and the tumour does not show any diagnostic feature on routine light microscope preparations.