title: Location of lectin UEA-I receptors in histological diagnosis of nasopharyngeal precancerous lesion.
abstract: Three kinds of lectins (UEA-I, ConA, PNA) were used to study normal, dysplastic, neoplastic nasopharyngeal epithelium by lectin affinitive histochemical method. UEA-I (ulex europeus agglutinin-I) displayed membrane distribution in normal squamous epithelium, but most of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells were negative. Notably, severe dysplastic epithelium (precancerous lesion) exhibited a strong membranous and cytoplasmic affinity, which contrasted sharply with the normal epithelium and carcinoma cells. The statistically significant difference in the content and distribution of lectin UEA-I in these three groups suggest that UEA-I is a hopeful marker for diagnosing precancerous lesion of the nasopharynx. However, PNA and ConA are of less diagnostic value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tumor Hospital and Cancer Institute, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Z D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000032:analysis*; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D037121:Plant Lectins; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037102:Lectins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen; C036850:Ulex europaeus lectins