[A monoclonal antibody study of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in skin and skin tumors].

Using anti-CEA polyclonal antibody (PoAb), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been demonstrated immunohistologically in the sweat gland apparatus of normal human skin. Therefore, staining for CAE has been commonly used for the diagnosis of sweat gland tumors and sweat gland differentiation of the skin tumors. However, recently, various kinds of CEA-associated antigens which cross-react with anti-CEA PoAb have been found. It has been pointed out that anti-CEA PoAb is not specific to CEA and gives false positive reactions. In the present study, localization of CEA in normal skin and skin tumors was evaluated immunohistologically using anti-CEA PoAb and three kinds of anti-CEA monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), which were more specific for CEA. From the studies with PoAb and MoAbs, it appeared that CEA-associated antigens were present in the area which reacted with PoAb and that eccrine glands contained various kinds of CEA-like substances. Pure CEA may not exist in skin tissues.