Ring K S, Karp F, Benson M C
Department of Urology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032.
J Occup Med. 1990 Sep;32(9):904-9. doi: 10.1097/00043764-199009000-00030.
The flow cytometry (FCM) technique allows for the rapid quantitative analysis of the DNA content of individual cells. In a variety of genitourinary tumors, DNA ploidy has a significant impact upon prognosis and ultimate patient survival. In patients having transitional cell cancer (TCC) of the bladder, FCM of voided urine and bladder barbotage specimens is highly correlated with cytologic analysis in the detection of malignant cells. One problem with this technique has been decreased sensitivity in samples containing large numbers of inflammatory cells. To improve FCM detection of TCC in bladder wash specimens, we developed a technique using a monoclonal antibody (Mab) specific to human, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). The EMA cell-surface marker enabled us to differentiate bladder epithelial cells from lymphocytes and cellular debris. In combination with DNA analysis using propidium iodide, the EMA Mab increased the sensitivity and specificity of FCM compared to conventional analysis using propidium iodide alone. We conclude that epithelial cell-surface antigen staining using both EMA Mab and DNA staining can increase the FCM detection of TCC in bladder wash specimens.
流式细胞术（FCM）技术可对单个细胞的DNA含量进行快速定量分析。在多种泌尿生殖系统肿瘤中，DNA倍性对预后及患者最终生存有着重大影响。在患有膀胱移行细胞癌（TCC）的患者中，对排尿及膀胱灌洗标本进行FCM检测，在检测恶性细胞方面与细胞学分析高度相关。该技术的一个问题是在含有大量炎性细胞的样本中敏感性降低。为提高膀胱冲洗标本中TCC的FCM检测率，我们开发了一种使用针对人上皮膜抗原（EMA）的单克隆抗体（Mab）的技术。EMA细胞表面标志物使我们能够将膀胱上皮细胞与淋巴细胞及细胞碎片区分开来。与使用碘化丙啶进行DNA分析相结合，与单独使用碘化丙啶的传统分析相比，EMA Mab提高了FCM的敏感性和特异性。我们得出结论，使用EMA Mab进行上皮细胞表面抗原染色及DNA染色可提高膀胱冲洗标本中TCC的FCM检测率。
