Quantitative analysis of CD15 antigen in human gallbladder carcinoma

Abstract

AIM: To study the clinicopathological significance of CD15 antigen expression and its contents in human carcinoma.

METHODS: CD15 expression and its contents in 45 cases of gallbladder carcinoma, 17 cases of gallbladder adenoma and 10 cases of chronic cholecystitis were evaluated by microwave LSAB immunohistochemical technique combined with image analysis.

RESULTS: Positive rate of CD15 and its integral absorbance (optic density) in the gallbladder carcinoma were 71% and 4.0 ± 3.2 respectively, being significantly higher than 35% (6/17) and 0.9 ± 0.3 in the gallbladder adenoma, 20% (2/10) and 0.4 ± 0.1 in chronic cholecystitis (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In grade II-III cancer, they were 90% (17/19) and 5.4 ± 1.7, being significantly higher than 58% (15/26) and 2.2 ± 3.1 in grade I cancer (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In lymph node positive cases, they were 88% (21/24) and 6.5 ± 3.5, which were significantly higher than 52% (11/21) and 3.3 ± 2.1 in the negative ones (P < 0.025, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: CD15 expression and its contents could be involved in aggresiveness of gallbladder carcinoma and might be a useful indicator to evaluate the malignancy and biological features, and could be considered as a good prognostic predictor for patients with gallbladder carcinoma.

Key Words: Carcinoma, Gallbladder neoplasms/pathology, CD15 antigen/metabolism, Immunohistochemistry, Image analysis