Immunological reaction to bilharzial carcinoma of urinary bladder

ABSTRACT

Operative specimens taken from the urinary bladder of 50 patients formed the material of the present work. Immunohistochemical study of paraffin sections stained for subpopulations of lymphocytes using monoclonal antibodies and the immunoperoxidase procedure. Lymphocytic infiltration was seen in all studied cases of bilharzial carcinoma of the bladder.In transitional cell variety more than other cell types and in squamous Cell variety more than adenocarcinoma and undifferentiated carcinoma. In most cases lymphocytic infiltration was heavier in well differentiated tumour than in poorly differentiated and undifferentiated tumours. This study suggests that the natural host defence mediated through lymphocytes play a crucial role in determining the outcome of bilharzial carcinoma of the urinary bladder