GLYCOHISTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF MALIGNANCIES OF LUNG AND PLEURA

Based upon the reasoning that protein-carbohydrate recognition is invo lved in diverse intercellular activities including growth control and cell motility 14 probes have been employed to characterize epitope pre sence in sections of 80 cases with operated lung carcinomas, 20 patien ts with mesothelioma, and 20 cases with non-malignant lung diseases. A s parts of the innate immune system with supposed relevance for host d efense the mannan-binding lectin (MBL) and serum amyloid P component ( SAP) were employed. The naturally occurring immunoglobulin G fractions with selectivity for alpha-galactosides (alpha(+)) and beta-galactosi des (beta(+)) and their subfractions with enhanced target selectivity (alpha(+)beta(-),alpha(-)beta(+)) allowed the monitoring of expression of reactive sites for these autoantibodies as a step to elucidate pot ential anti-tumor activity. Due to the diversity of cellular galactosi de-containing glycoconjugates two galectins and a plant lectin were in cluded. As a measure of receptor activities for carbohydrates, neoglyc oconjugates with alpha-galactose, the B-disaccharide, the Forssman-dis accharide, and alpha-glucose as histochemically crucial ligand part we re tested in addition to an antibody against heparin-binding lectin. Q uantitative image analysis revealed significant differences between ca ses with small cell and non-small cell lung cancer for the plant lecti n and one galectin, cases with non-tumorous lung disease and lung carc inoma for serum amyloid P component and the beta-galactoside-selective autoantibody fraction. Prognostic relevance was observed for the pres ence of glucose-specific sites in small cell lung cancer and meso-thel ioma cases, and of galectin- and alpha-galactoside-selective immunoglo bulin G fraction-binding sites in non-small cell lung cancer patients.