Association of histochemical expression of Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin-positive glycoconjugates with behaviour of human gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between sialylation of glycoconjugates and clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer.


RESULTS
Sialylation of glycoconjugates was examined histochemically in 71 gastric cancers using Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin (MAL), a lectin that recognizes the trisaccharide sequence NeuAc alpha 2,3Gal beta 1,4GlcNAc/Glc. Positive staining with MAL was observed in the tumour region of all of the samples, but the populations of MAL-positive tumour cells in the tumour region varied among the samples. In the corresponding non-cancerous regions, however, no positive staining was observed. Calculating the percentage of MAL-positive tumour cells as part of the total tumour cells with respect to the MAL-staining index (MI) allowed the gastric cancer to be classified into two distinct groups: high and low levels of MI, with a cut-off level of 40% of MI. Furthermore, statistical analyses using the MI level and clinicopathological characteristics of the tumour indicated that a high MI level in gastric tumour tissues is related to a poorer prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
The appearance of MAL-positive glycoconjugates in gastric tumour cells is associated with the behaviour of gastric cancer.
Tang
W
W
Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. TANG-SUR@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Mafune
K
K
Nakata
M
M
Konishi
T
T
Kojima
N
N
Mizuochi
T
T
Makuuchi
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D029901:Maackia / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000737:chemistry; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000737:chemistry; D011379:Prognosis; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate
D006001:Glycoconjugates; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D012794:Sialic Acids; C100156:leukoagglutinins, plants