Description
Recognizes a 40-43kDa transmembrane epithelial glycoprotein, identified as epithelial specific antigen (ESA), or epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (Ep-CAM). It is expressed on baso-lateral cell surface in most simple epithelia and a vast majority of carcinomas with the exception of adult squamous epithelium, hepatocytes and gastric epithelial cells. Antibody to Ep-CAM has been used to distinguish adenocarcinoma from pleural mesothelioma and hepatocellular carcinoma. It is also useful in distinguishing serous carcinomas of the ovary from mesothelioma. It has been reported that this epithelial antigen plays an important role as a tumor-cell marker in lymph nodes from patients with esophageal carcinoma otherwise classified as node-negative