The variability of blood group antigens in gastric carcinoma as demonstrated by the immunoperoxidase technique

Abstract

In this study the immunoperoxidase technique was used to demonstrate the blood group antigens A, B and H in normal gastric mucosa and primary and metastatic gastric carcinomas. No clear relationship between tumour differentiation and preservation of blood group antigens was found. In some well differentiated tumours there was a marked loss of blood group substance, whereas in other poorly differentiated tumours, both primary and metastatic, it was easily detectable. In some tumours an inverse relationship between A or B and H activity was noted. This observation is consistent with the theory that in some malignant cells there is a blocking of the normal step-by-step elongation of the carbohydrate portion of blood group substances.

Immunohistochemical study of blood group activities in the alimentary canal in normal and pathologic conditions with reference to the nature of epithelial mucopolysaccharides

“…This conclusion seems reasonable considering additional findings by other investigators [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]: ABO(H)-and Lewis-antigens are present in the form of glyco-or muco-proteins in secretions (saliva, gastric juice, semen, and sweat) or as glycolipids in the plasma membrane or intracellular structures of RBCs or several kinds of cells in the stomach, intestine, lung, kidney, and pancreas. The immunodeterminants of these antigens are known to be composed of such hexoses and hexosamines as L-fucose, I>galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine, and N-acetylglucosamine, and their vicinal glycols contribute to the PAS-positivity in histochemistry [23].…”

“…As for carcinoma of the alimentary canal (especially gastric carcinoma), no clear relationship between the BGAs' distribution and the degree of histopathologic differentiation could be noted [9], since even signet-ring cells with poor differentiation revealed the activities so long as they had PAS-positive mucins, and some cases of well differentiated adenocarcinoma (such as pap or tub1) with very few PAS-positive substances or secretions showed almost negative BGAs. In general, it can be said that such BGAs suppressed under normal conditions tended to appear in malignancy in which dedifferentiation might be expected to have occurred [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

“…They exist as glycoproteins or glycolipids, which have been reported to be closely associated with cell growth, differentiation, and carcinogenesis [4][5][6][7]. In consideration of such characteristics of BGAs, several immunohistochemical studies have been conducted on their localization in human pathologic or fetal tissues in addition to normal ones [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Expression of histo-blood group antigens in bronchial squamous metaplasia

“…Deletion or reduction of histo-blood A or B epitopes has been extensively studied in human cancer. After an initial report in gastric cancer [18], this phenomenon was also described and correlated with histological grade and metastatic potential in other gastrointestinal [9], lung [10][11][12], cervical [19], oral [20] and bladder carcinomas [8]. As far as bronchial carcinoma is concerned, previous reports have suggested that patients belonging to blood groups A or B and bearing tumours that do not express the corresponding histo-blood groups, show a shorter survival time after diagnosis [13,14,21].…”

“…These antigens are involved in various biological processes, such as cellular differentiation, maturation, proliferation, malignant transformation and intercellular signalling [7]. The prognostic significance of a loss of or a modified histo-blood group antigen (ABH) expression has been suggested in carcinomas of various sites, including the urinary bladder [8], the gastrointestinal tract [9] and the lungs [10][11][12]. DAVIDSOHN and NI [10] demonstrated a loss of ABH determinants in pulmonary carcinomas.…”