It. Said et al., Comparison of different techniques for detection of Gal-GalNAc, an early marker of colonic neoplasia, HIST HISTOP, 14(2), 1999, pp. 351-357
The tumor marker, D-galactose-beta[1-3]-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (Gal-GalNA
c, also known as T-antigen) can be identified by a very simple galactose ox
idase-Schiff's (GOS) reaction either on tissues or on rectal mucus samples
from patients with colorectal neoplasms. Gal-GalNAc is expressed in the neo
plastic mucosa as well as the remote non-neoplastic mucosa. It is, however,
not expressed in colonic mucosa of normal subjects. We studied the express
ion of Gal-GalNAc by GOS reaction, lectin reactivity and immunocytochemistr
y in 10 normal, 45 precancerous [5 Crohn's disease, 15 ulcerative colitis (
5 without dysplasia and 10 with dysplasia), 25 tubular adenomas], and 25 ad
enocarcinoma cases. Normal mucosa remote from tubular adenoma and adenocarc
inoma was also studied. The GOS method was compared with reactivity of the
lectin jacalin and immunostaining with antibody to T antigen (Anti-Tag Ab).
GOS reaction was negative in all of the 10 normal specimens. Of the 5 Croh
n's disease specimens, 2 were positive and 3 negative. In the 5 ulcerative
colitis cases without dysplasia, positive reaction was seen in 2 cases and
negative in 3. Of the 10 cases of ulcerative colitis with dysplasia, 5 show
ed positivity in dysplastic areas, and 3 of these were also positive in rem
ote non dysplastic mucosa. Twenty of 25 tubular adenomas yielded a positive
reaction in the adenoma, 14 of them showing positivity also in remote muco
sa; 3 cases showed a positive reaction only in remote mucosa. Of the 25 ade
nocarcinomas, 21 showed a positive reaction in the adenocarcinoma as well a
s the remote mucosa. GOS reaction was intense in well differentiated adenoc
arcinoma and weak in poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Intense reaction
was also seen in the intracellular mucus of some aberrant crypts and morph
ologically normal crypts remote from adenocarcinoma and tubular adenoma. GO
S reaction showed an overall sensitivity of 75.7% and specificity of 100% f
or cancer and precancerous lesions. Jacalin reactivity was slightly more se
nsitive (84.3%) but less specific (80%) and Tag Ab reactivity even less sen
sitive (50%) but as specific (100%) for neoplastic and dysplastic mucosa. W
e conclude that the detection of the carbohydrate moiety Gal-GalNAc varies
with the technique used. Compared to other techniques, GOS reaction is extr
emely simple and has a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. It can b
e used for detection of this tumor marker in remote non-neoplastic mucosa o
f patients with neoplasia or at risk of developing neoplasia. It, therefore
, could be used as a cost effective screening test in rectal biopsy specime
ns of such patients.