Antigenic alterations in tumors of epidermal origin

One hundred tumors of epidermal origin were studied by means of indirect immunofluorescence technique with sera from patients with proven pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid. We found that in tumors of epidermal origin, there was a loss of antigenicity of the intercellular substance and basement membrane; this was minimal for benign tumors, greater for premalignant tumors, and very clear for malignant tumors. We also found a gross correlation between the histologically proven malignancy of squamous cell carcinoma and the grade of antigenic loss; both for the intercellular substances and for the basement membrane antigens. However, this did not yeild definite results in the group with basal cell carcinoma. With regard, especially, to the intercellular substance antigen, it seemed to be completely independent of histologic type of basal cell carcinoma. We found that the duration of the epidermal tumor did not correlate with the percentage of intercellular substance and basement membrane antigenic loss. This suggested that the antigenic loss was an early feature of neoplastic behavior. The deeper parts of the malignant tumors in the dermis showed a lower percentage of antigenicity for both antigens.