title: Glycosyltransferases as Markers for Early Tumorigenesis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glycosylation is the most frequent posttranslational modification of proteins and lipids influencing inter- and intracellular communication and cell adhesion. Altered glycosylation patterns are characteristically observed in tumour cells. Normal and altered carbohydrate chains are transferred to their acceptor structures via glycosyltransferases. Here, we present the correlation between the presence of three different glycosyltransferases and tumour characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  235 breast cancer tissue samples were stained immunohistochemically for the glycosyltransferases N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 6 (GALNT6), β-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 2 (GCNT2), and ST6 (α-N-acetyl-neuraminyl-2,3-β-galactosyl-1,3)-N-acetylgalactosamine α-2,6-sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GALNac1). Staining was evaluated by light microscopy and was correlated to different tumour characteristics by statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a statistically significant correlation for the presence of glycosyltransferases and tumour size and grading. Specifically smaller tumours with low grading revealed the highest incidences of glycosyltransferases. Additionally, Her4-expression but not pHer4-expression is correlated with the presence of glycosyltransferases. All other investigated parameters could not uncover any statistically significant reciprocity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here we show, that glycosyltransferases can identify small tumours with well-differentiated cells; hence, glycosylation patterns could be used as a marker for early tumourigenesis. This assumption is supported by the fact that Her4 is also correlated to glycosylation, whereas the activated form of Her4 does not show such a connection with glycosylation.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Campus Innenstadt, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Andergassen
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Campus Innenstadt, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Friederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liesche
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Campus Innenstadt, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexandra C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kölbl
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 7435 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77054, USA.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ilmer
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Campus Innenstadt, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hutter
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Campus Innenstadt, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friese
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Campus Innenstadt, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jeschke
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016695:Glycosyltransferases