Collagen type IV in epithelial tumours of colon.

Collagen type IV in the lamina propria mucosae is one of the main components of the basement membrane of normal and transitional colon mucosa. The aim of the present study was to assess the use of anti-collagen type IV antibodies in the evaluation of biological activity of epithelial tumours of the colon. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens of polyps and carcinomas of the colon from 14 patients were analyzed.