Fucosylated Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen in alpha-anomeric configuration in human gastric surface epithelia: an allogeneic carbohydrate antigen possibly controlled by the Se gene

Profiling of Naturally Occurring Antibodies to the Thomsen-Friedenreich Antigen in Health and Cancer: The Diversity and Clinical Potential

The Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen is expressed in a majority of human tumors due to aberrant glycosylation in cancer cells. There is strong evidence that humoral immune response to TF represents an effective mechanism for the elimination of cancer cells that express TF-positive glycoconjugates. The presence of naturally occurring antibodies to tumor-associated TF and cancer-specific changes in their levels, isotype distribution and interrelation, avidity, and glycosylation profile make these Abs a convenient and ubiquitous marker for cancer diagnostics and prognostics. In this review, we attempt to summarize the latest data on the potential of TF-specific Abs for cancer diagnostics and prognostics.

Expression of tumor-associated Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (T Ag) in Helicobacter pylori and modulation of T Ag specific immune response in infected individuals

We tested the hypothesis that the gastric cancer associated bacteria, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) express the cancer-related Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) antigen. We also analysed whether infection with H. pylori alters the amount of natural anti-T antibodies in the patients' sera. Cell surface membrane extracts of H. pylori NCTC 11637 strain and clinical isolates of H. pylori (n = 13) were analysed by immunoblotting and cell-ELISA with five different T antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Two major protein bands of approximately 68 kDa and 58 kDa were immunostained on blots of H. pylori extracts with T specific MAbs but not immunostained with unrelated MAb. The specificity was shown in that immunostaining was blocked with peanut agglutinin (PNA) and rabbit antiserum to T antigen. The binding of T specific MAb to the 58 kDa protein band was also blocked by rabbit antiserum against heat shock proteins of H. pylori. The relative expression of T antigen-related proteins differed among H. pylori strains, with 68 kD associated T antigen expression higher in patients with more severe pathology. The level of IgG antibody to T epitope in patients with gastric cancer (n = 66) and normal blood donors (n = 62) were compared and the level of anti-T Ab in gastric cancer patients was significantly lower than that in normal blood donors. A significant positive correlation between T specific antibody in serum and H. pylori IgG antibody level was found in H. pylori-infected normal blood donors (P < 0.001), but this correlation was not found in H. pylori-infected cancer patients. In summary, the cancer related T epitope is expressed in H. pylori and modulation of T antigen-specific immune response in H. pylori-infected individuals suggests that H. pylori infection may alter natural immune mechanisms against cancer.

Increasing the intra-Golgi pH of cultured LS174T goblet-differentiated cells mimics the decreased mucin sulfation and increased Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (Gal beta1-3GalNac alpha-) expression seen in colon cancer

Mucins in ulcerative colitis and colon cancer share common properties of reduced sulfation and increased oncofetal carbohydrate antigen expression. It has previously been shown that there is no simple correlation between these changes and the activity of the relevant glycosyl-, sialyl-, and sulfo-transferases. We examined mucin sulfation and expression of oncofetal Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen (galactosyl beta1-3N-acetylgalactosamine alpha-) in the goblet cell-differentiated human colon cancer cell line LS174T following treatment with bafilomycin A(1, )which raises intra-Golgi pH, or monensin, which disrupts medial-trans Golgi transport. Cells were dual-labeled with sodium [(35)S]-sulfate and D-[6-(3)H(N)]-glucosamine hydrochloride, or labeled with L-[U-(14)C]-threonine alone. Mucin was purified using Sepharose CL-4B gel filtration. Mucin sulfo-Lewis(a) and TF antigen expression were assessed using the F2 anti-sulfo-Lewis(a) monoclonal antibody and peanut agglutinin binding respectively. Bafilomycin (0.01 microM; 48 h) reduced total mucin sulfation, expressed relative to incorporation of glucosamine, to 0.50 +/- 0.04 d.p.m. [(35)S]-sulfate per d.p.m. [(3)H]-glucosamine compared to control, 0.84 +/- 0.05 (p < 0.001, n = 16). This was accompanied by 50.3 +/- 8.0% increased expression of TF antigen (p < 0.01) and 50.1 +/- 5.5% decreased expression of sulfo-Lewis(a) (p < 0.01). The reduced sulfate:glucosamine ratio was largely due to increased incorporation of glucosamine into newly synthesized mucin rather than reduction in total sulfate incorporation. In contrast, monensin only reduced total mucin glycosylation at concentrations > 0.1 microM and had no significant effect on mucin sulfation or TF expression. Intra-Golgi alkalinization affects mucin glycosylation, resulting in decreased mucin sulfation and increased expression of TF antigen, changes that mimic those seen in cancerous and premalignant human colonic epithelium.

Natural IgM and IgG antibodies to Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) antigen in serum of patients with gastric cancer and blood donors--relation to Lewis (a,b) histo-blood group phenotype

A possible association of serum anti-T IgM and IgG antibody levels with Lewis blood-group phenotype was investigated in 168 blood donors and 132 gastric cancer patients using ELISA with synthetic T-disaccharide-polyacrylamide conjugate as antigen. The donors of Le(a-b+) phenotype showed the highest anti-T IgM level irrespective of ABO(H) blood group. A significant decrease in anti-T IgM in serum was observed among cancer patients of Le(a-b+) phenotype: 95% of weak responders versus 17.5% for related groups of donors (p < 10(-6)). In contrast, no significant difference between patients and donors was found for Le(b-) individuals. Thus, a level of natural anti-T antibodies in serum of blood donors and its decrease in patients with gastric cancer are related to Le(a,b) phenotype. This should be taken into account where anti-T antibody level in the serum is used as a tumour marker or for monitoring patients during cancer immunotherapy with mucin-type vaccines.

Presence of H type 3/4 chains of ABO histo-blood group system in serous cells of human submandibular gland and regulation of their expression by the secretor gene (FUT2)

We have investigated by immunochemistry the distribution of H Type 3/4 chains of the ABO histo-blood group system in human submandibular gland using a monoclonal anti-H MBr1 antibody specific for H Type 3/4 chains, and have found the expression of H Type 3/4 chains was mainly in the serous cells. Serous cells from secretors were stained by MBr1 but not by anti-A and anti-B antibodies, whereas serous cells from nonsecretors exhibited a negative reaction with MBr1. Mucous cells were not stained by MBr1. Only a few striated duct cells showed a weak reaction with anti-H MBr1. These results suggested that the H Type 3/4 chains were distributed predominantly in the serous cells of the human submandibular gland and that secretor Type alpha(1,2)fucosyltransferase (Se enzyme) controlled the synthesis of H Type 3/4 chains in vivo. Saliva also contained H Type 3/4 chains, which were controlled by the secretor gene (FUT2). The differences in the distributions of H Type 1, H Type 2, and H Type 3/4 chains of the ABO histo blood group system in the submandibular gland are discussed.

Novel monoclonal antibody, SO-MU1, against human gastric MUC5AC apomucin

Human gastric mucins were chemically deglycosylated with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. A mouse monoclonal antibody (MoAb), SO-MU1, was established against the deglycosylated mucins. SO-MU1 recognized not only the deglycosylated mucins but also the native gastric mucins. Periodate treatment of the native mucins increased the SO-MU1 reactivity. Trypsin digestion abolished the antigenicity. Human gastric cDNA expression library was screened with SO-MU1 and a mucin cDNA clone was obtained. Its sequence contained the MUC5AC tandem repeat domain. We studied gastrointestinal distribution of the SO-MU1-reactive antigen immunohistochemically. Gastric surface epithelial cells and parietal cells expressed the antigen, but the glandular cells did not. The antigen was also detected in the small intestine and biliary tract but not in the colon and pancreas. In summary, (1) MoAb SO-MU1 was raised against human gastric mucins, (2) it recognized human gastric MUC5AC apomucin, and (3) the SO-MU1-reactive antigen showed characteristic distribution in the organs of endodermal origin. MoAb SO-MU1 is the first MoAb against MUC5AC.

The lower level of natural anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (TFA) agglutinins in sera of patients with gastric cancer related to ABO(H) blood-group phenotype

The TFA is a tumor-associated, blood-group-related glycosidic precursor structure [Gal(beta 1-3)GalNAc]. Its expression in carcinomas is accompanied by a decrease of natural TFA antibodies in serum. The relationship between the ABO(H)-blood-group phenotype and natural anti-TFA immune response in patients with gastric cancer was studied. The level of TFA agglutinins in the sera of patients with gastric cancer and of healthy controls was examined by the hemagglutination of neuraminidase-treated blood-group-O donor erythrocytes. Individuals were classified as weak or strong TFA responders. They were also classified by ABO(H)-blood-group status, age, cancer stage, tumor morphology and level of isohemagglutinins. The proportion of weak TFA responders (WR) in cancer patients was 33, 50, 50 and 20% (for O, A, B and AB blood groups respectively), as compared with 11.7, 14.5, 13.9 and 26.1% for blood-group-related controls. The difference between cancer patients and controls was significant for all blood groups except group AB. Further analysis showed age-dependence in blood-group-O and -B controls, with a high level of WR in the older group. Blood-group-A cancer patients had the greatest and uniform suppression of the level of TFA agglutinins, irrespective of age, cancer stage or tumor morphology, and lower levels of anti-B isohemagglutinins.

Direct demonstration of increased expression of Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen in colonic adenocarcinoma and ulcerative colitis mucin and its concealment in normal mucin

Increased binding of the lectin peanut agglutinin is a common feature in epithelial malignancy and hyperplasia. This may have considerable functional importance in the intestine by allowing interaction between the epithelium and mitogenic lectins of dietary or microbial origin. Peanut agglutinin binds the disaccharide Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF, T or core 1) blood group antigen, Gal beta (1-3) GalNAc alpha-, but is not totally specific for this site. Consequently, there has been controversy about the presence of this structure in colon cancer; studies with anti-TF monoclonal antibodies have failed to detect it. We have examined the presence of TF antigen in colonic mucus glycoprotein (mucin) using endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (O-Glycanase), which specifically catalyzes the hydrolysis of TF antigen from glycoconjugates. Samples of adenocarcinoma, inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis), and normal mucin were treated with O-glycanase, the liberated disaccharide was separated from the glycoprotein and analyzed using dual CarboPac PA-100 column high performance anion-exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection. O-Glycanase treatment released increased amounts of TF antigen from both colonic adenocarcinoma (8.0 +/- 3.9 ng/micrograms protein, n = 11; P < 0.0001 ANOVA) and ulcerative colitis mucin (3.3 +/- 0.3 ng/micrograms protein, n = 5; P = 0.04) compared with mucin samples from histologically normal mucosa distant from carcinoma (1.5 +/- 1.1 ng/micrograms protein, n = 9). However, after mild acid treatment to remove sialic acids and fucose, releasable TF antigen was increased in all nine of these histologically normal mucin samples (5.5 +/- 2.6 ng/micrograms protein, P < 0.0002). We conclude that TF antigen is an oncofetal antigen which is expressed in colon cancer, but is concealed by further glycosylation (sialylation and/or fucosylation) in the normal colonic mucosa.