PEANUT LECTIN AGGLUTININ AND ALPHA-LACTALBUMIN - BINDING AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION IN BREAST TISSUES

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 108  (5) , 392-395
Abstract
Breast lesions (31) were analyzed immunohistochemically for .alpha.-lactalbumin (ALA) production and T-antigen presence as defined by peanut lectin agglutinin (PNA). Most cases of well-differentiated infiltrating carcinomas (14 of 17) and of poorly differentiated carcinomas (2 to 4) showed positive immunoreactivity for ALA; ALA was also localized in 3 cases of normal breast tissues, in 2 fibroadenomas, and in 5 intraductal carcinomas. The PNA binding pattern was primarily along the luminal cytoplasmic cell membrane in normal breasts and in fibroadenomas. Cell membrane and cytoplasmic binding was observed in carcinomas. In 7 cases of primary and metastatic carcinomas to axillary lymph nodes, both primary and metastatic tumors expressed T antigen and produced ALA. ALA evidently can be used as a diagnostic marker in breast carcinoma and the PNA binding pattern in normal and benign breast tissues is primarily at the luminal cytoplasmic cell membrane, whereas both cytoplasmic and cell membrane binding are present in carcinomas. The production of ALA does not appear directly related to T-antigen expression or to metastatic disease.

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