Analysis of Lectin Affinity Immunoelectrophoretic Profiles of Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein from Patients with Yolk Sac Tumors and Carcinomas of the Gastrointestinal Tract: Correlations with Molecular Structures

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Abstract
Profiles of concanavalin A (Con A) and lentil agglutinin (LCH) affinity immunoelectrophoresis were compared for serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) from patients with yolk sac tumors and carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract, in order to find some correlations between peaks of AFP subfractions detectable by two different lectins, and to investigate whether or not it is possible to prove that the binding of AFP to LCH is weakened to some extent if a fucosylated sugar chain has, in addition, a bisect N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) attached to the β-linked mannose. The results obtained with our improved techniques tend to indicate that a Con A-reactive AFP subfraction (peak a) corresponds to an LCH strongly reactive AFP (peak A), while a Con A-nonreactive AFP (peak b) corresponds to an LCH weakly reactive AFP (peak B). The authors consider the present data sufficient to support the above explanation.