Soluble form of carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) in transitional cell carcinoma of urinary tract.

We investigated the expression of cell-associated CAIX protein in histological sections of the transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary tract and of the soluble form of CAIX (s-CAIX) shed by the tumor into the serum and urine of TCC patients. A total of 23 patients with histologically confirmed TCC or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were enrolled in the pilot study. Sixteen healthy individuals served as controls.