Scanning Immunoelectron Microscopic Study of Normal, Inflammed and Neoplastic Human Bladder Epithelium

The surface morphology and the distribution of blood group A, B and AB isoantigens (IA) on normal, inflammed and neoplastic human bladder epithelium have been studied by scanning immunoelectron microscopy using bacteriophage T4 (T4) as a marker. The surface topography of normal epithelium was characterized by microridges, short microvilli and microplicae. On the surface of normal cells, IA were distributed as uniformly and densely as on the surface of red blood cells. Inflammatory conditions did not induce essential changes in the distribution of IA, although considerable changes in the surface morphology were present. Neoplastic transformation induced drastic alterations both in the surface morphology and in the distribution of IA. Based on the altered sufrace appearance, pleomorphism of microvilli and the degree of attachment to the surrounding cells, tumor cells were classified into 5 main SEM cell types. These SEM cell types correlated well not only with the histological tumor grade but also with the degree of the deletion of IA expression.