A lectin-based approach to detecting carcinogenesis in breast tissue.
It has been suggested that the diversity of glycosylation structures that form during cancer progression and the sensitivity with which they are able to be detected have great potential for cancer screening. However, the large majority of breast cancer research has instead focused on the development of protein or nucleic acid markers. In the present study, alterations in glycosylation in breast cancer tissue were analyzed using enzyme-linked lectin assays (ELLAs), which have potential for high-throughput screening. Cancer tissues (CCs) and normal tissues (CNs) were collected from women with breast cancer ranging from stage 0 to IIIA. The specimens were divided into two groups, stage 0-I and stage II-III, and the levels of four types of lectin in stage 0-I and stage II-III CCs and CNs were compared by ELLA. The results demonstrated that, relative to CNs, the CCs contained significantly enhanced levels of mannosylation (stage 0-I, P<0.001; stage II-III, P<0.001), galactosylation (stage 0-I, P<0.05; stage II-III, P<0.001), sialylation (stage 0-I, P<0.001; stage II-III, P<0.01) and fucosylation (stage 0-I, P<0.01; stage II-III, P<0.01). Furthermore, stage II-III CCs had higher levels of mannosylation (P<0.05) and galactosylation (P<0.01) than stage 0-I CCs. The sensitivity of the ELLA system ranged from 71-100% when specificity was set at 100%. These results demonstrate that enhanced glycosylation levels identified by ELLA are associated with the development of breast tumors, and provide evidence of the exceptional sensitivity and specificity of the ELLA system in the detection of breast cancer. This approach is anticipated to contribute highly to the development of reliable diagnostic procedures for breast cancer.
Laboratory of Virology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.
Ga Ram
GR
Wi
Breast and Thyroid Cancer Center, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
Byung-In
BI
Moon
Laboratory of Virology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.
Hyoung Jin
HJ
Kim
Breast and Thyroid Cancer Center, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
Woosung
W
Lim
Breast and Thyroid Cancer Center, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
Anbok
A
Lee
Breast and Thyroid Cancer Center, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
Jun Woo
JW
Lee
Laboratory of Virology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.
Hong-Jin
HJ
Kim
breast cancer; enzyme-linked lectin assay; fucosylation; galactosylation; glycosylation; lectin; mannosylation; sialylation