ENZOOTIC PNEUMONIA IN SWINE - COMPARATIVE LECTINHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF NORMAL AND AFFECTED LUNGS

A comparative lectinhistochemical study of lung samples with lesions o f Swine Enzootic Pneumonia (SEP) from which isolation of Mycoplasma hy opneumoniae (M.h) was positive and of normal lungs with a negative sur vey of M.h, was carried out. The hyperplastic bronchiolar epithelium f ound in SEP samples presented glycoconjugates with sugar residues of L -fucose and in a lesser amount of N-acetylgalactosamine/galactose, whi ch were not found at this level in the control samples. Lectin WGA wit h sugar affinity for N-acetylglucosamine, RCA with affinity for N-acet ylgalactosamine and UEA-1 with affinity fur L-fucose stained selective ly type II pneumocytes, the latter only in SEP samples. Lectin binding affinities for N-acetylgalactosamine/galactose, N-acetylglucosamine a nd L-fucose residues stained alveolar macrophages. Lymphoid tissue, no rmal of hyperplastic was negative to all lectins. Differences in lecti n-binding affinity patterns seen iii hyperplastic epithelium in the sm all bronchioles in SEP should be related with the synthesis of membran e-bound mucins, normally found at the level of the large airways, and not related with the failure of the glycosylation process.