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Immunocytochemistry of collagenase expression in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder
M Hattori1, E Ohno, H Kuramoto
1Department of Clinical Cytology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Japan.
Objective:
To evaluate the usefulness of collagenase immunocytochemistry as well as its immunohistochemistry in assessing the correlation with prognostic factors in transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder.
Study Design:
We investigated the expression of collagenase in catheterized urine and histologic specimens from 38 patients with TCC and 20 cases with benign lesions of the urinary tract.
Results:
Thirteen (34.2%) and 17 (44.7%) patients with TCC showed positive expression of collagenase on cytologic and histologic specimens, respectively, whereas in no cases with benign lesions was such expression found (P < .01). Invasive and nonpapillary TCC had higher positive rates than noninvasive and papillary TCC. Grade 3 TCC was positive at a higher rate than was grade 2, whereas there were no positive cases with grade 1. Collagenase expression did not correlate significantly with stage.
Conclusion:
Collagenase expression in urinary TCC correlated well with tumor growth pattern, pathologic grade and invasiveness of the carcinoma; all are known to be prognostic factors. The application of collagenase immunostaining to urinary cytology is very useful for assessing prognosis in TCC.