ABNORMAL EXPRESSION OF BLOOD GROUP-ASSOCIATED ANTIGEN (BGA) IN COLON OF HIRSCHSPRUNGS-DISEASE

The entire segment of resected colon obtained from 15 patients with Hi rschsprung's disease (HD) was examined with conventional mucin histoch emistry (PAS-AB, HID-AB) to investigate the mucin composition and bloo d group-associated antigens (BGA) (sialosyl-Le(a), Le(a), Le(y), Le(b) for detecting mucosal cell differentiation. The BGA Le(b) were absent in normal distal colon and rectum but present in fetal colon. Immunor eactivity of Le(b), which is a marker of undifferentiated crypt cells, was observed throughout the crypts in aganglionic colon. Depletion of sulphated and neutral mucin was also a characteristic finding in the aganglionic mucosa. These findings suggest that the colonic mucosa of aganglionic bowel represents persistence of a fetal stage of developme nt. These cellular abnormalities may be a factor in the pathogenesis o f enterocolitis complicating HD.