Histochemical expression of sialoglycoconjugates in carcinoma of the papilla of Vater.
OBJECTIVE
Cell surface glycosylation changes during oncogenesis and is thought to correlate with the malignant potential of cancers. To investigate the role of sialylation in carcinoma of the papilla of Vater, histochemical analyses were performed using sialic acid-binding lectins, Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin and Sambucus nigra agglutinin.


METHODS
Thirty-six papillary carcinoma tissues and 8 normal papillary tissues were subjected to lectin-histochemical staining. The relationship between lectin staining characteristics and clinicopathological parameters was statistically analyzed.


RESULTS
Epithelial cells of glands in normal tissues were stained with Sambucus nigra agglutinin but not with Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin. Of 36 papillary carcinoma tissues, 20 showed Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin-positive staining in cancer cells, whereas all 36 were Sambucus nigra agglutinin-positive in cancer cells. According to Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin-staining characteristics, the 36 cases were divided into two groups: positive (n=20) and negative (n=16). Statistical analysis indicated that positive staining in cancer cells was frequent in cases of lymph node metastasis (p=0.001) and in cases classified > or = T2 by TNM classification (p=0.036).


CONCLUSIONS
Aberrant expression of sialoglycoconjugates recognized by Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin might participate in lymph node metastasis and in an advanced stage of invasion in carcinoma of the papilla of Vater.
Tang
Wei
W
Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. TANG-SUR@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Guo
Qian
Q
Usuda
Mayumi
M
Kokudo
Norihiko
N
Seyama
Yasuji
Y
Minagawa
Masami
M
Sugawara
Yasuhiko
Y
Nakata
Munehiro
M
Kojima
Naoya
N
Makuuchi
Masatoshi
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014670:Ampulla of Vater / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003138:Common Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D054788:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D037121:Plant Lectins; C050600:Sambucus nigra lectins; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; C100156:leukoagglutinins, plants; D054788:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins