DIFFERENCES IN LECTIN BINDING IN TISSUE-SECTIONS OF HUMAN AND MURINE MALIGNANT-TUMORS AND THEIR METASTASES

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 119  (3) , 420-429
Abstract
Lectin binding to tumor cells in tissue sections of 16 non-metastatic and 24 metastatic human adenocarcinomas and 5 nonmetastatic and 5 metastatic murine Lewis lung carcinomas (LLC) was assessed with an avidin-biotin peroxidase technique. In human tumors, Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA I) showed no binding; whereas concanavalin A (Con A), Ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCA I), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), soybean agglutinin (SBA) and Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) bound equally to primaries and metastases. However, peanut agglutinin (PNA) bound to < 5% of cells in 37 of 40 primaries but to > 50% of cells in 18 of 24 metastases. In LLC tumors, UEA I and DBA showed no binding; whereas Con A, RCA I and WGA bound equally to primaries and metastases. SBA bound to > 50% of cells in 5 metastases but not to the 5 primaries. There was < 5% binding of PNA to 10 primary murine tumors after neuraminidase pretreatment of tissue sections but > 50% binding in 3 of 5 metastases. In both human adenocarcinomas and an experimental tumor system, that most tumor cells which metastasize show preferential binding of PNA and SBA.