The association of sialyl Lewis(a) antigen with the metastatic potential of human colon cancer cells.
BACKGROUND
The vascular endothelium plays a critical role in cancer metastasis by directing circulating cancer cells into extravascular tissues and by expressing cell adhesion molecules. The authors investigated the interaction between a cell line derived from human colon cancer and cultured murine endothelial cells, in vitro, and in vivo.


METHODS
Variant cell lines with high (WiDr-HA) or low (WiDr-LA) levels of cell surface sialyl Lewis(a) antigen (s-Le(a)) were isolated from the heterogeneous WiDr cells (WiDr-P) in order to characterize the biological behavior of colon cancer cells having elevated cell surface contents of s-Le(a).


RESULTS
A correlation was found to exist between the degree of s-Le(a) expression, and the attachment of cancer cells to activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells, or to F-2 cells isolated from murine vascular endothelial cells. The adhesion of WiDr-P and WiDr-HA to F-2 cells was inhibited by the addition of anti-s-Le(a) antibody (Ab). WiDr-P and WiDr-HA both demonstrated the capacity to metastasize to the liver, by the inoculation of cancer cells to the spleen, while WiDr-LA did not do so. The number of metastatic nodules of WiDr-HA was significantly higher than that of WiDr-P. Treatment with anti-s-Le(a) Ab inhibited the metastasis of WiDr-P and WiDr-HA to the liver, but not with anti-s-Le(x) Ab.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that s-Le(a) plays an important role in cell adhesion molecules, in the metastasis of colon cancer.
Sato
M
M
First Department of Surgery, Nagoya City University Medical School, Japan.
Narita
T
T
Kimura
N
N
Zenita
K
K
Hashimoto
T
T
Manabe
T
T
Kannagi
R
R
D000818:Animals; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology
D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D019040:E-Selectin; D005732:Gangliosides; D007375:Interleukin-1; C064564:sialyl Le(a) ganglioside