Detection of endometrial cancer by flow cytometry using two monoclonal antibodies.

BACKGROUND: To develop a supplementary diagnostic method for endometrial cancer by measuring the reactivity of various endometrial lesions with two monoclonal antibodies. METHODS: We investigated the reactivity of various endometrial lesions with two monoclonal antibodies (MSN-1 and MSN-3) by flow cytometry (one-color and two-color methods). RESULTS: The two-color method appeared to be suitable for use in place of simultaneous performance of the one-color methods with MSN-1 and MSN-3. The positivity rate for normal endometrium was 16.0% with the two-color method, which was lower than the rate of 30.0% obtained with concomitant used of the one-color methods. The positivity rate for endometrial cancer was high, 84.0%, with the two-color method. The positivity rate was 85.7% for well-differentiated endometrial cancer, 71.4% for moderately differentiated cancer, and 100.0% for poorly differentiated cancer; thus, the rate was high irrespective of the cellular differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: The two-color method is more useful than the one-color method as a supplementary diagnostic procedure for endometrial cancer.