title: Ultrastructural immunostaining of infiltrating ductal breast carcinomas with the monoclonal antibody H: a comparative study with cytokeratin 8.
abstract: The monoclonal antibody H (mAbH) detects an epitope consisting of an O-linked N-acetyl glucosamine (O-GlcNAc) and neighboring amino acids. This epitope has been found by using extracts from the MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line in immunoblotting experiments, on cytokeratin 8 (CK8) and 5 other polypeptides. In the present study, a double immunogold method was applied for the colocalization of CK8 and mAbH epitope on epoxy thin sections in 18 cases of infiltrating ductal breast carcinomas (IDBC) and in 6 cases of fibroadenomas, to study the accurate subcellular distribution of CK8 in breast cancer cells, as compared to the 5 polypeptides, recognized by mAbH. Furthermore, a detailed quantitative evaluation of the double immunolocalization over the cellular compartments of cancer cells was undertaken with the aid of a computerized image analysis system and the results were assessed statistically. The distribution pattern of CK8 and the mAbH epitope in the neoplastic mammary epithelial cells was similar in IDBC as compared to fibroadenomas, while the gold labeling intensity of these epitopes differed over the cellular compartments between malignant and benign biopsies. The results reveal the significance of the role of CK8 and O-GlcNAc glycosylation in the biology of the neoplastic mammary cells in vivo, determining their malignant potential.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Havaki
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kittas
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marinos
authors.forename: Urania
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dafni
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sotiropoulou
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Voloudakis-Baltatzis
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goutas
authors.forename: Stamatis D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Vassilaros
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Athanasiou
authors.forename: Dimitrios L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Arvanitis
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000276:immunology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D044584:Carcinoma, Ductal / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000939:Epitopes; D007633:Keratins; D000117:Acetylglucosamine