Origin of intraepithelial apoptotic cells in human colorectal adenomas

The origin of lntraepithellal apoptotic cells in human colorectal adenomas was examined using lmmunohistochemistry. Tissue sections of human colorectal adenomas obtained during surgery or endoscopy were stained by the streptavidin‐biotin method using antlbodies agalnst carcinoembryonlc antigen (CEA) and leukocyte common antigen (LCA). Approximately 15.7% of apoptotlc bodies stained postfive for CEA with Immunoreactivtly on the cytoplasm, whereas all cells stained negative for LCA. These findings suggest that Intraepithelial apoptosls in human colorectal adenomas origlnates from adenoma cells rather than infiltrating lymphocytes as previously proposed, and that apoptotic cells maintained their cytoplasmic antigenicity In the early stages of apoptosls.