Nephrogenic adenoma and embryonic kidney tubules share PNA receptor sites.

Nephrogenic adenoma a rare bladder, ureter, or urethral lesion, is of disputed pathogenesis, metaplastic and congenital etiologies both being implicated in its development. Since light and electron microscopy have been unable to fully resolve the lesion's pathogenesis, the authors used biotinylated lectins as probes and avidin-biotin peroxidase complex (ABC) as a visualant to study cases of nephrogenic adenomas and compared their lectin binding patterns with those of normal transitional epithelium, human embryonic kidneys, and cases of cystitis cystica and glandularis and squamous metaplasia of the bladder in an effort to clarify this issue. Only the epithelial lining of the luminal surface and tubuli in nephrogenic adenoma and tubules in embryonic kidney exhibited free PNA receptor sites. The striking staining similarities between the epithelial components of nephrogenic adenomas and mesonephric and metanephric tubules complement previous findings concerning the origin of nephrogenic adenoma.