Differences in clinical significance of blood group antigens A, B, and H in carcinoma tissue in the uterine cervix

Losses of expression of the antigens A, Lea and Lex and over-expression of Ley in carcinomas and HG-SIL of the uterine cervix

BACKGROUND

The glycosylation of a great number of molecules, glyco-protein or glycolipids, has been of interest for decades.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the expressive patterns of the isoantigenic determinants of histo-blood groups ABH and Lewis in squamous and simple epithelium and in precursors and cancers of the cervix.

METHODS

A total of 36 lesions and neoplasms (10 LG-SIL, 16 HG-SIL and 10 invasive carcinomas) have been studied with immunohistochemical techniques, using monoclonal antibodies (MoAb BG1 to BG8) for precursor chains, blood-group ABH and Lewis group Le(a), Le(b), Le(x), and Le(y), and four types of lectins. In addition, we have studied the expression of p53 protein and PCNA, establishing the rate of proliferation of each lesion. Using PCR techniques, we have also detected part of the intron of the E6 gene of HPV-16.

RESULTS

In the invasive cervical carcinomas, we observed a loss of expression of the Le(x) antigen (p < 0.01). With regard to the progression of the different lesions studied, we found alterations in the patterns of expression of the antigens of the ABH and Lewis blood groups. There was a tendency towards a loss of expression and heterogeneous patterns in the more advanced lesions, as well as over-expression of the Le(y) antigens. With PCNA, we established a proliferative rate which tended to be greater in relation to the progression of the cervix neoplasms.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that there is a relation between the losses of histo-blood groups and the progression of the squamous intraepithelial lesions.

Comparison of the expression of ABH/Lewis-related antigens in polypoid and non-polypoid growth types of colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Colorectal tumors can be classified based on their growth pattern into the polypoid growth-type (PG-type) and non-polypoid growth-type (NPG-type). To ascertain whether there is any relationship between the expression of particular blood group-related antigens (A, B, H, Lewis (Le)a, sialyl Le(a), Le(x), sialyl Le(x)) in a colorectal tumor, and a tumor having polypoid or non-polypoid growth, we examined 78 PG-type and NPG-type colorectal cancers.

METHODS

Fourteen PG-type and 64 NPG-type colorectal carcinomas were subjected to immunohistochemical analyses by using monoclonal antibodies against A, B, H, Le(a), sialyl Le(a), Le(x) and sialyl Le(x).

RESULTS

The patients with NPG-type carcinomas had a significantly younger age of onset, significantly smaller maximal tumor diameter, significantly higher rate of lymph node metastasis and significantly worse prognosis than those with PG-type carcinomas. Among the 32 tumors of patients with blood type A or AB, isoantigen A was expressed in a significantly larger percentage of NPG-type carcinomas than PG-type carcinomas (95.8 vs 62.5%, respectively; P=0.014). Among all 78 tumors, sialyl Le(x) antigen was expressed in a significantly larger percentage of NPG-type than PG-type carcinomas (90.6 vs 64.3%, respectively; P=0.010). Multivariate analysis using the logistic regression model revealed that isoantigen A and sialyl Le(x) expression were independent predictive risk factors for the development of NPG-type colorectal carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that the expression of isoantigen A and sialyl Le(x) in a colorectal carcinoma partially determines whether the tumor will have polypoid or non-polypoid growth.

The use of thrombomodulin to study epithelial cell differentiation in neoplastic and non-neoplastic oral lesions

Thrombomodulin (TM) is a glycoprotein originally isolated from rabbit lung vasculature and characterized as a natural endothelial anticoagulant. Thrombin binds to TM noncovalently with high affinity. Thrombin-TM complexes can activate protein C efficiently. Activated protein C inactivates factors Va and VIIIa and regulates the blood coagulation cascade. Thus TM converts thrombin from a procoagulant protease to an anticoagulant. TM is found on endothelial cells in veins, arteries and capillaries. Our previous study has shown that TM is also expressed on the cell surface of squamous epithelium. In the present study, we aimed to disclose differences in TM expression among normal, dysplastic, and malignant squamous epithelium in human oral mucosa by counting TM-positive cells in each lesion. TM was uniformly expressed in the spinous layer of normal human oral squamous epithelium. The number of TM-positive cells was not significantly different between normal epithelium, lichen planus and mild dysplasia. In contrast, in moderate and severe dysplasia and well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), there were significantly fewer positive cells compared with normal epithelium. In SCCs, the periphery and the central keratinized area of tumor islands were often negative. The proportion of TM-positive cells in poorly differentiated SCC was significantly lower than in well-differentiated SCC. These results indicate that TM may have diagnostic value in the histological examination of oral premalignant and malignant lesions.

Expression of blood group antigen A by stage I non-small cell lung carcinomas

To clarify the significance of blood group antigen A (BAA) expression by neoplastic cells, we studied patients who had curative resections of stage I non-small cell lung carcinomas. Immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies was used to detect BAA expression by paraffin-embedded carcinoma cells. One hundred three patients were studied; mean age was 62.6 years, and 70 (68%) were male. Histologic types were as follows: adenocarcinoma, 52 (50.5%); squamous cell, 25 (24.3%); large cell, 24 (23.3%); and adenosquamous, 2 (1.9%). Histologic grades were as follows: I, 13 (12.6%); II, 26 (25.3%); and III, 64 (62.1%). All patients had American Joint Committee on Cancer stage I tumors: 65 patients (63.1%) had T1 tumors, and 38 (36.9%) had T2 tumors. Recurrences developed in 25 (24.3%) and metachronous malignancies in 4 (3.9%). Survival was 75% +/- 4.8% at 3 years and 66.6% +/- 7.5% at 5 years. Eighty-nine patients (86.4%) were blood group A and 14 (13.6%) were AB. Ninety-five (92.2%) were secretors of BAA and 8 (7.8%) were not. The expression of BAA by neoplastic cells was not detectable in 34 (33%), trace (1% to 5% of neoplastic cells) in 10 (9.7%), 1+ (6% to 25%) in 8 (7.8%), 2+ (26% to 50%) in 12 (11.7%), 3+ (51% to 75%) in 12 (11.7%), and 4+ (76% to 100%) in 27 (26.2%). The pattern of neoplastic cell staining was homogeneous in 14 patients (20.3%) and heterogeneous in 55 (79.7%). Carcinoma recurrence, overall survival, and event-free survival were not related to secretor status, BAA expression, or pattern of staining.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

High expression rate of Tn antigen in metastatic lesions of uterine cervical cancers

The significance of altered expression of MN blood group antigens was examined by studies on the expressions of Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (T antigen) and Tn antigen in primary and metastatic lesions of 29 human uterine cervical cancers. These antigens were measured by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase (ABC) method with peanut agglutinin (PNA) lectin for T antigen and Vicia villosa agglutinin (VVA) lectin for Tn antigen. Proportion of cancer cells expressing Tn antigen was higher in the metastatic lesions than in the primary tumors in 10 of the 29 cases, less in the metastasis than in the primary tumor in one case, and similar in the primary and metastatic lesions in the other 18 cases. Reaction for Tn antigen was positive in 24 (82.8%) of the 29 metastases, and in 17 (58.5%) of the 29 primary lesions. Thus, the rate of Tn antigen expression was significantly higher in the metastases than in the primary lesions (P < 0.05). On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the immunoreactivities of T antigen in metastases and primary tumors. These findings support our previous suggestion that expression of Tn antigen is closely related to the metastasis to regional lymph nodes and may reflect an important role of this carbohydrate in the process of metastasis of cervical cancer.

Tn antigen, a marker of potential for metastasis of uterine cervix cancer cells

BACKGROUND

The expressions of Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (T-Ag) and Tn antigen (Tn-Ag), precursors of MN blood group antigens, were examined in the tissues of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix from 111 patients to determine their clinicopathologic significance with regard to the biologic behaviors of cancer cells and the clinical course of the patients.

METHODS

T-Ag and Tn-Ag were measured by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase (ABC) method with peanut (Arachis hypogaea) lectin (PNA) and Vicia villosa agglutinin (VVA), respectively.

RESULTS

Unlike expression of T-Ag, that of Tn-Ag was correlated closely with vascular permeation of cancer cells, their parametrial spread and metastasis to the pelvic lymph nodes, and also with a low 5-year survival rate. No correlation was found between expression of Tn-Ag and other parameters, such as the clinical stage or histologic type. Furthermore, Tn-Ag expression was independent of the degree of cancer involvement in the fibromuscular stroma of the cervix, which seems to be a marker of the aggressiveness of cancer cell proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that Tn-Ag expression is a useful indicator of the potential for metastatic potential of cancer cells. Thus, a combination of estimations of the degree of cancer involvement in the cervical stroma and Tn-Ag expression seems the most useful for predicting the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer.

Correlation of expression of ABH blood group carbohydrate antigens with metastatic potential in human lung carcinomas

METHODS. The expression of ABH blood group carbohydrate antigens was examined histochemically in tumors and adjacent nontumorous tissues of 89 cases of human lung carcinoma in which nontumorous tissues expressed blood group carbohydrate antigens compatible with the erythrocyte blood group types. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS. Loss of ABH blood group antigens in lung carcinomas correlated with their metastatic potential, especially with the recurrence of hematogenous metastasis. Consequently, patients with tumors that retained compatible ABH blood group antigens showed a better prognosis than patients with tumors of altered antigenic profiles. The loss of blood group B antigen more significantly affected both the hematogenous metastasis and prognosis than that of A and H antigens.

Heterophile antigens in serous cystadenocarcinoma of the human ovary

As the aberrance of carbohydrate moieties, the appearance of heterophile antigens in human ovarian cancer tissue was studied using various heterophile antigens and antibodies together with antisera raised in rabbits by immunization with extracts of human ovarian cancer tissues. In the immunodiffusion test, rabbit antisera reacted with a heat-stable, perchloric-acid extractable antigen that was different from CEA and CA125 and possessed Hanganutziu-Deicher (HD)-type specificity in all 4 specimens of serous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary. Furthermore, a pathologic serum with strong HD-antibody complex formed a precipitin line with one of them. In the cancer tissue, we also immunochemically demonstrated the presence of rat-erythrocyte antigens. However, other types of heterophile antigens, such as Paul-Bunnell and Forssman, were not detected. These results suggest that HD-type antigens appear in serous cystadenocarcinoma of the human ovary, one in broad distribution and some in specific cases.

Prognostic value of various molecular and cellular features in oral squamous cell carcinomas: a review

Recent findings of prognostic value for oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) which may supplement clinical staging are reviewed. Many reports show that histopathologic grading, measurements of tumor-thickness and DNA-content have independent prognostic value and may thus be of clinical value. Features regarding cells at the invading margins of the tumors are probably of higher prognostic value than features within other parts of the tumors. Reportedly, various other cellular and serum markers have prognostic associations worthwhile further research.

Aberrant glycosylation in oral malignant and premalignant lesions

Cell surface carbohydrates serve as differentiation and developmental markers characteristic of different cell and tissue types. The expression of these carbohydrate antigens is often significantly altered in tumors, particularly in those arising from epithelial tissues. Analysis of cell surface carbohydrates in oral epithelium have shown that in normal epithelium they are expressed in a way that shorter carbohydrates are found on basal cells and that these carbohydrate structures are elongated parallel to terminal differentiation. The carbohydrate expression is altered in oral carcinomas and in some oral premalignant lesions. The change in carbohydrate expression can at present be explained by the lack of synthesis of specific glycosyltransferases. We have found mosaicism in the expression of carbohydrate antigens in all tumors and have found that the expression of a specific carbohydrate in the deep invasive parts of the tumor correlates with tumor prognosis.