title: Expression of different carbohydrate tumour markers and galectins 1 and 3 in normal squamous and malignant epithelia of the upper aaerodigestive tract.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tumour markers hold a great relevance in the diagnosis and the follow-up treatment of different kinds of human carcinoma. Although head and neck cancer occurs frequently, there is still lack of appropriate tumour markers. Our investigation on the expression of sialyl Lewis A (CA19-9) in laryngeal carcinomas, consists of systematical analysis of oncofetal carbohydrates and of galectins 1 and 3 in different normal and malignant tissues of the aerodigestive tract.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paraffin-embedded sections of normal tongue, vocal cord, larynx, pharynx and epiglottis, representing normal control tissue and laryngeal cancer tissue were incubated with monoclonal antibodies against sialyl Lewis A and X (sLeA and X), Lewis Y (LeY), the Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen and galectin 1 and 3 (Gal-1 and -3). A staining reaction was carried out with ABC-peroxidase and diaminobenzidine (DAB). Tissue of breast cancer was used as a positive control. Mouse IgM, as isotype control antibody, was used as a negative control. Semi quantitative evaluation was carried out double-blinded, by two independent investigators, including a pathologist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Squamous epithelia of all investigated normal tissues of the aerodigestive tract show nearly the same pattern. Most impressive findings are the very weak expression of Gal-1 and the total absence of the TF antigen. Laryngeal cancer reveals high amounts of sLeA, Gal-1 and the TF antigen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the basis of our findings in normal tissue of the aeradigestive tract, these three markers qualified as potential tumour markers for carcinoma of the aerodigestive tract. In particular, the high expression of TF in cancer tissue and its absence from the normal tissue is promising for its establishment as a new tumour marker in this field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Innenstadt, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Maistrasse 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Irmi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wiest
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alexiou
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kunze
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Betz
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jeschke
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dian
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D037483:Galectin 1 / Q000032:analysis*; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000032:analysis*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000737:chemistry*; D014059:Tongue / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037483:Galectin 1; D037502:Galectin 3; C445499:LGALS1 protein, human; C016467:Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen