Histochemical differences of the lectin affinities of backbone polylactosamine structures carrying the ABO blood group antigens in papillary carcinoma and other types of thyroid neoplasm

Abstract

Endo-beta-galactosidase from Escherichia freundii cleaves linear polylactosamine structure as follows: R-GlcNAc-beta 1-3Gal-beta 1-4GlcNAc-beta 1-R' + H2O-->R-GlcNAc-beta 1-3Gal + GlcNAc-beta 1-R'. Staining with Griffonia simplicifolia agglutinin II (GSA-II) following enzyme digestion reveals the distribution of R-GlcNac-beta 1-3Gal-beta 1-4GlcNAc-beta 1-R' structures in tissue sections. In this study, the procedure was applied to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 26 cases of papillary carcinomas including 2 follicular variants, 8 follicular carcinomas, 7 adenomas, 1 anaplastic carcinoma and 1 medullary carcinoma in order to investigate whether different types of polyactosamine-containing structure are produced in these thyroid neoplasms. Simultaneously, the susceptibility of the ABH antigens expressed in these neoplastic cells to endo-beta-galactosidase digestion was examined. Most of the papillary carcinoma cells from all the individuals examined were strongly stained by GSA-II following enzyme digestion. Without enzyme digestion, little or no reactivity with GSA-II was observed. Among other types of neoplasms, only one case of follicular carcinoma exhibited reactivity with GSA-II following enzyme digestion. ABH antigens were expressed in 22 cases of papillary carcinomas, 2 adenomas, 5 follicular carcinomas and 1 anaplastic carcinoma, and their expression was dependent on the ABO blood group of the patients. Endo-beta-galactosidase digestion resulted in the elimination of these antigens not only in papillary carcinomas but also in other neoplasms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Simultaneous expression of keratan sulphate epitope (a sulphated poly-N-acetyllactosamine) and blood group ABH antigens in papillary carcinomas of the human thyroid gland

“…2). Such labelling patterns were also similar to those obtained with MAbs against blood group antigens, with GSA-II following endo-{3-galactosidase digestion, and with lectins (Ito et al, 1994bYokota et al, 1995). No staining with 5-D-4 was observed in neoplasms such as follicular carcinomas …”

“…Since digestion with keratanase eliminated the 5-D-4 reactivity found in some other human tissues such as the acinar cells of the parotid and submandibular glands (Ito et al, unpublished observation), the inability of this enzyme to abolish or reduce the reactivity with 5-D-4 in carcinoma cells could not be due to an inactive or poorly active enzyme. As reported previously (Ito et al, 1994b;Yokota et al, 1995), reactivity with MAb-A, MAb-B, UEA-I, and LEA in papillary carcinomas was reduced or eliminated by prior endo-[3-galactosidase digestion (Table 3). The intensity of labelling with these reagents was also diminished or abolished by treatment with N-glycosidase F (Fig.…”

Histochemical demonstration of different types of poly-N-acetyllactosamine structures in human thyroid neoplasms using lectins and endo-β-galactosidase digestion

“…19). As reported in previous papers (Ito et al, 1994b;Yokota et al, 1995), GSA-II rarely reacted with cancer cells without prior enzyme digestion.…”

“…Since the enzyme cleaves the inner Gal~I-4GlcNAc linkage of linear poly-N-acetyllactosamine to expose terminal GlcNAc residues (Fukuda & Matsumura, 1976;Scudder et al, 1984), GSA-I1 staining combined with prior endo-~-galactosidase digestion makes it possible to demonstrate linear poly-N-acetyllactosamine structures in tissue sections. Recently, an endo-~-galactosidase digestion procedure has also been applied to the analysis of the backbone structure of blood-grouprelated antigens in human thyroid neoplasms; this revealed that the antigens are carried predominantly by poly-N-acetyllactosamine structures containing a linear domain susceptible to endo-~-galactosidase digestion (Ito et al, 1994b;Yokota et al, 1995). Although the enzyme digestion disclosed GSA-II reactivity in papillary carcinomas, such treatment elicited little or no GSA-II reactivity in other types of neoplasm (Yokota et al, 1995).…”

“…Recently, an endo-~-galactosidase digestion procedure has also been applied to the analysis of the backbone structure of blood-grouprelated antigens in human thyroid neoplasms; this revealed that the antigens are carried predominantly by poly-N-acetyllactosamine structures containing a linear domain susceptible to endo-~-galactosidase digestion (Ito et al, 1994b;Yokota et al, 1995). Although the enzyme digestion disclosed GSA-II reactivity in papillary carcinomas, such treatment elicited little or no GSA-II reactivity in other types of neoplasm (Yokota et al, 1995). It was thus suggested that the poly-N-acetyllactosamine structures carrying the blood-group-related antigens found in papillary carcinomas are quite different from those produced in other thyroid neoplasms.…”