[Immunocytochemical localization of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and transport of CEA into the blood vessels in gastric cancer].

CEA was localized in the luminal border, cytoplasm, but not in mucus, in Signet ring cell carcinoma (sig) and mucinous carcinoma (muc). Electronmicroscopically, CEA was localized in the glycocalyx of the microvilli and microvesicles of the cytoplasm. The histologically different cancer types showed no difference in the localization of T-CEA. We also studied P-CEA elevating factors in 38 CEA-positive (++) patients manifesting subserosal (ss) or deeper invasion. No remarkable findings were obtained. When P-CEA elevating factors were studied in 20 patients with (+) CEA reaction and ss or deeper invasion, we found that the incidence of por was high in P-CEA negative cases. In particular, the por incidence was significantly low (p less than 0.01) in patients with scirrhous type. High P-CEA levels were detected in blood adjacent to the cancer. Among 6 cases with negative P-CEA in the vessels adjacent to the cancer whose T-CEA reactions were (++) or (+), and who manifested ss or deeper invasion, there was a high incidence of por (5 cases) and scirrhous type (4 cases), histologically.