JACK FRUIT LECTIN-SPECIFIC GLYCOCONJUGATE EXPRESSION DURING THE PROGRESSION OF CERVICAL INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA - A STUDY ON EXFOLIATED CELLS

The expression of glycoconjugates specific to Jack fruit lectin (JFL) was studied in the exfoliated squamous cells of different grades of in traepithelial and invasive neoplasia of the uterine cervix. It was obs erved that while normal cells showed almost negative binding, the lect in binding percentage of squamous cells significantly increased with i ncreasing atypia of the epithelium. Correlation analysis between diffe rent groups revealed that mild lectin binding in cells had a negative correlation and intense binding had a positive correlation with variou s stages of tumor progression. These results indicate that the number of cells with aberrant expression of glycoconjugates increases as neop lastic transformation advances. The percentage of labeled and unlabele d cells also shows a continuous transition from low to severe grades o f cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive carcinomas. The pres ent study therefore shows that JFL may be used as a probe for further elaboration of detection and grading of precancerous and cancerous les ions of the uterine cervix. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.