Summary
The distribution of tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and various cytokeratins was studied with immunohistochemical techniques in malignant, normal and inflamed urothelium. TPA and cytokeratins 8, 18 and 19 were similarly distributed and there was no difference between benign and malignant conditions. All keratins were most abundant in the outer cell layers of the urothelium. EMA was present primarily in the so called umbrella cells. Increased levels of TPA in urine and serum are found in patients with urothelial carcinoma. TPA is reported to be related to the cytoskeletal keratins and its presence definitely does not imply malignant transformation as we have demonstrated it in both benign and malignant urothelium. The increased levels of TPA in urine and serum are probably due to a more rapid turnover and autolysis of cells and may parallel a more aggressive tumor behaviour.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adolphs HD, Oehr P (1984) Significance of plasma tissue polypeptide antigen determination for diagnosis and follow-up of urothelial bladder cancer. Urol Res 12:125–128
Björklund B, Björklund V (1957) Antigenicity of pooled human malignant and normal tissues by cyto-immunological technique: presence of an insoluble, heat-labile tumor antigen. Int Arch Allergy 10:153–184
Björklund B (1980) On the nature of clinical use to tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA). Tumor Diagn 1:9
Carbin BE, Eneroth P, Ekman P (1986) Significance of urine-TPA (Tissue Polypeptide Antigen) as a prognostic marker for urothelial carcinoma (submitted for publication)
Collan Y, Mäkinen J, Heikkinen M (1979) Histological grading of transitional cell tumors of the bladder. Value of histological grading (WHO) in prognosis. Eur Urol 5:311–318
Franke WW, Eber K, Osborn M, Schmid E, Freundstein C (1978) Antibody to prekeratin. Cecoration of tonofilamentlike arrays in various cells of epithelial character. Exp Cell Res 116:429–445
Gustafson H, Tribukait B, Esposti PL (1982) DNA pattern, histological grade and multiplicity related to recurrance rate in superficial bladder tumors. Scand J Urol Nephrol 16:135
Lewenhaupt A, Ekman P, Eneroth P, Nilsson B, Nordström L (1985) TPA-S, prognostic aid in human prostatic carcinoma. Prostate 6:285–291
Limas C, Lage PH, Fraley EE, Vessela R (1979) A, B, H antigens in trasitional cell tumors of the urinary bladder. Cancer 44:2099
Lundström R, Björklund B, Eklund G (1973) A tissue-derived polypeptide antigen: its relation ot cancer and its temporary occurrance in certain infectious disease. In: Björklund B (ed) Immunological techniques for detection of cancer. Bonniers, Stockholm, p 243
Menendez-Botet CJ, Oettgen HF, Pinsky CM, Schwartz A (1978) A preliminary evaluation of tissue polypeptide antigen in serum or urine (or both) of patients with cancer or benign neoplasms. Clin Chem 24:868
Moll R, Franke WW, Schiller DL (1982) The catalogue of human cytokeratins: patterns of expression in normal epithelia, tumors and cultured cells. Cell 31:11–24
Ramaekers FCS, Puts JJG, Moesker O, Kant A, Huysmans A, Haag D, Jap PHK, Herman CJ, Vooijs GP (1983) Antibodies to intermediate filament proteins in the immunohistochemical identification of human tumors: An overview. Histochem J 15:691–713
Weber K, Osborn M, Moll R, Wiklund B, Lüning B (1984) Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) is related to the non-epidermal keratins 8, 18 and 19 typical of simple and non-squamous epithelia: re-evaluation of a human tumor marker. EMBO J 3:2707–2714
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Carbin, B.E., Collins, V.P. & Ekman, P. Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), some cytokeratins and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) in normal, inflamed and malignant urothelium. Urol. Res. 15, 191–194 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262097
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262097