Schistosomiasis-associated squamous lesions of the bladder. Expression of low molecular weight cytokeratin proteins.

The monoclonal antibody CAM 5.2 was used to investigate the expression of lower molecular weight cytokeratin proteins immunocytochemically in conventionally processed samples of schistosoma-associated squamous metaplasias and carcinomas of the urinary bladder. The antibody did not differentiate between squamous metaplasias and well differentiated squamous carcinomas, though it did focally label moderate to poorly differentiated tumours. The results suggest that squamous carcinomas of the bladder in this setting differ fundamentally from such tumours at other sites in their patterns of cytokeratin protein expression.