OPTICAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDY OF LOCALIZATION OF CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN (CEA) IN NORMAL AND CANCEROUS HUMAN RECTOCOLONIC MUCOSA

Google Scholar
  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 34  (1) , 97-107
Abstract
An immunoenzymologic method using peroxidase-labeled antibodies was applied for the localization of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) on frozen sections, on Araldite-embedded sections and on isolated cell preparations of normal rectocolonic mucosa and of rectal and colonic cancers (adenocarcinomas and 1 villous tumor). CEA appears as a component intimately associated with the external coating of the striated border of the normal columnar cell and with the external coating of the apical role of the cancerous cell. CEA is also found as an intracellular component of the normal epithelial cell of the rectocolonic mucosa, mainly the goblet cell. In tumors it appears as an intracellular component of the mucus-secreting cell. Its presence in the cell coat and interior of the cell correlates with the degree of differentiation of the cells, whether cancerous or not. Progressive accumulation of CEA in the normal colonic epithelial cell was observed in cells undergoing maturation. Its release by the mature goblet cell was also observed. These results confirm that CEA is a normal glycoprotein constituent of the epithelial cell of the human adult rectocolonic mucosa, synthesized and discharged by this cell. The difference in CEA content, already reported, between the cancerous and the normal rectocolonic mucosa appears quantitative and not qualitative.