LOCALIZATION OF HYALURONATE (HA) IN PRIMARY TUMORS AND NUDE-MOUSE XENOGRAFTS OF HUMAN PANCREATIC CARCINOMAS USING A BIOTINYLATED HA-BINDINGPROTEIN

A biotinylated hyaluronate (HA)-binding protein isolated from bovine c artilage was used to analyze the distribution of HA in nude mouse xeno grafts derived from human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines as well as in primary human pancreatic adenocarcinomas. The most reproducible results for the localisation of HA were obtained using cryostat secti ons. When the biotinylated HA-binding protein was applied to histologi cal sections of nude mouse xenografts, the specific staining found cou ld be inhibited by preincubating the HA-binding protein with an excess of HA or by hyaluronidase treatment of the tissue before staining. Th e highest HA concentration was found at the tumor boundaries, while in the central part of the tumor staining was slight or absent. In cryos tat sections of primary tumors HA was found predominantly in the conne ctive tissue immediately around tumor cells or at the border between t he tumor and normal pancreatic tissue.