Immunohistochemical detection of carcinoembryonic antigen in benign hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma of the prostate with monoclonal antibody.

Immunoperoxidase localization of carcinoembryonic antigen was done on tissue sections of benign hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma of the prostate using murine monoclonal antibody against carcinoembryonic antigen. The study was done to determine whether carcinoembryonic antigen would be a tissue marker of prostatic malignancy. Of 30 benign lesions 25 (83 per cent) were negative and 5 had focally weak staining, while of 36 adenocarcinomas 31 (86 per cent) had diffusely positive staining and 5 were negative. Diffusely moderate or strong staining was noted in 5 of 10 grade I (50 per cent), 11 of 12 (92 per cent) grade II and 13 of 14 (93 per cent) grade III tumors, as well as 14 of 15 (93 per cent) tumors from patients with bone metastasis. These findings suggested that extensive immunostaining for carcinoembryonic antigen in prostatic glandular lesions might be a potentially important prognostic marker of malignancy. Further studies are warranted to extend and confirm these results.