Direct Tissue Visualization of Normal Cross-reacting Antigen in Neoplastic Granulocytes

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Abstract
Normal cross-reacting antigen, a glycoprotein that shares some antigenic determinants with carcinoembryonic antigen, was consistently demonstrated by tissue immunoperoxidase staining in the cytoplasm of both non-neoplastic and neoplastic neutrophilic granulocytes. It was absent in lymphoid cells, but occasional cells of the macrophage/histiocyte series showed variable staining. Malignant cells from patients who had non-Hodgkin or Hodgkin lymphomas were negative for normal cross-reacting antigen. These findings were in contrast to the findings of specific normal cross-reacting antigen positivity in neoplastic granulocytes from three patients who had acute granulocytic leukemia, three who had chronic granulocytic leukemia, and one who had a granulocytic sarcoma. Similar normal crossreacting antigen positivity was also seen in granulocytes from two patients who had granulocytic dysplasia. It is suggested that direct tissue visualization of normal crossreacting antigen using immunoperoxidase technics may be of value in the classification and diagnosis of hematologic malignancies, and may provide an additional marker for cells of the granulocytic series.