title: Histochemistry with Helix pomatia agglutinin in human germ cell tumors: detection of nongerminomatous components and correlation between HPA reactivity and radiosensitivity in germinomas.
abstract: Binding sites of Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA) were examined in 32 patients with intracranial human germ cell tumors. HPA reactivity was found in vascular endothelial cells and erythrocytes of patients with blood type A or AB. HPA-positive neoplastic cells were seen in one yolk sac carcinoma in a patient with blood group A, and in embryonal carcinomas and teratomas irrespective of blood group type. Although in 10 out of 18 germinomas neoplastic cells were totally negative for HPA, another 8 germinomas showed HPA-positive neoplastic cells which were distributed sporadically or in an area and independent of blood group types. HPA-negative germinoma patients showed a very good response to radiotherapy, whereas 4 out of 8 HPA-positive tumors showed poor radiosensitivity, with a residual lesion seen on computed tomography even after the total radiation dose of 40-50 Gy. These findings suggest that HPA-positive neoplastic cells in germinomas indicate components of differentiation of non-germinomatous germ cells. HPA-positive germinomas might be less radiosensitive than HPA-negative germinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Niikawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimokawa
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000032:analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D037102:Lectins; D008297:Male; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery; D010871:Pinealoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; C038095:Helix lectin; D037102:Lectins; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen