CORRELATION OF LECTIN-BINDING WITH LYMPH-NODE METASTASIS IN ORAL CANCERS

Lymph node metastasis is an important factor that influences the treat ment policy and prognosis of oral cancers. The cell membrane is known to play a role in the metastatic process. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship of lectin binding frequency of oral cancer cells to their capacity to metastasise to the lymph node. Smear s collected from tumours of 66 untreated patients were stained with Ja ckfruit lectin (JFL) conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), wit h diaminobenzidine dihydrochloride (DAB) as the visualant. The frequen cy of cells showing lectin binding was evaluated. The results showed t hat tumours with a high frequency of JFL binding cells had higher risk of lymph node metastasis (RR = 1.5). It was also found that a combine d score integrating the percentage of lectin binding cells with known clinical parameters, like primary tumour size, local invasion and hist ological subgroup, had better utility than any of these individually i n assessing risk of lymph node metastasis. The density of sugar residu es on the cell surface may be of importance in determining the lymph n ode metastatic potential of oral cancers, and the present study sugges ts the need for further research in this area. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd. All rights reserved.