Lectin- and Immunohistochemical Analysis of Renal Adenocarcinomas

Abstract Using fluorescence- and peroxidase-technics labelled lectins (PNA, RCA, UEA) and antibodies (anti-Tamm-Horsfall-Glycoprotein-antibody, anti-milk-fat-globuie-antibody) were applied to formalin fixed tissue specimen from 91 cases of renal cell carcinoma. These studies were performed in order to get further information about the histogenesis of these renal tumors. The hypernephromas showed a wide range in the distribution and the quantity of lectin and antibody binding sites. The staining pattern of some tumors correlated with distinct parts of the nephron. At least 5 % of the renal adenocarcinomas clearly showed exclusive characteristics of the collecting duct. Additionally, 5 % of all tumors revealed these parameters to a variable extent. From these observations we can conclude that renal adenocarcinomas may originate from other segments of the nephron than the proximal tubule as earlier suggested by others.