| Abstract: | Commercially available monoclonal antibodies AUA1, BER EP4 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were applied to cell blocks from 95 serous effusions. AUA1 and BER EP4 were reactive with 89% of effusions known to contain carcinoma cells, and anti-CEA with 71%. They also reacted with cells in two effusions from patients with malignant disease which were regarded as negative on conventional cytological examination of Papanicolaou-stained smears. They were negative in all but one of the benign effusions. Using all three antibodies, 95% of effusions containing carcinoma cells were detected. Use of these antibodies could improve the cytological diagnosis of serous effusions. |
