Early diagnosis of patients with meningeal carcinomatosis with carcino-embryonic antigen immunocytochemical stain examination and laser scanning confocal microscope

Objective To explore the early diagnostic value of carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) immunocytochemistry examination combined with laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) in the patients with meningeal carcinomatosis (MC).Methods The patients were divided into experimental group (patients with MC) and control group (patients without MC).Thermo electron corporation shandon cytospin 4 centrifuge was used in the cytologic examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF),whose function was to produce a monolayer of cells onto a glass slide from CSF.Giemsa staining was used in 42 cases.The CEA immunocytochemistry staining was used in 29 cases and 20 controls.The double immunofluorescence staining was used in 17 cases and 20 controls.SP staining method was used in the CEA and the results were observed under the light microscope.Nuclear DNA and CEA were stained with fluorescent probe DAPI and Cy5 respectively and the results of double immunofluorescenee staining were observed by the laser scanning confocal microscope.Results There was a high positive rate in cytologic examination of CSF,and malignant cells were found in all of 42 cases for repeated CSF testing.The positive rate of routine CSF cytologic examination and CEA immunecytochemistry examination was 85.7% (36/42) and 79.3% (23/29) respectively in the first CSF specimens.There were 17 cases using double immunofluorescence staining and observed by LSCM,and the positive rate was 13/17.Compared with experimental group and control group,fluorescent value both nuclear DNA (CEA(+) 1694.04±478.06,CEA(-)1543.04±364.71,control group 603.72±178.04,t=21.386,23.144,both P<0.01) and CEA (CEA(+)1407.04±275.30,control group 202.51±54.05,t=42.934,P<0.01) were significantly different.Conclusion Immunocytochemistry examination of CSF is an important early qualitative diagnosis method for MC.LSCM improved the level of locating,qualitative and quantitative diagnosis of MC. Key words: Meningeal neoplasms; Early diagnosis; Immunohistochemistry; Microscopy,confocal; Carcinoembryonic antigen