Characterization of ligands for galectins, natural galactoside-binding immunoglobulin G subfractions and sarcolectin and also of the expression of calcyclin in thyroid lesions

The purpose of this study was to characterize ligands for galectins, natura l galactoside-binding immunoglobulin G subfractions and sarcolectin and als o the expression of calcyclin in various benign and malignant thyroid lesio ns. The extent of the binding of eight glycochemical probes was quantitativ ely assessed using computer-assisted microscopy on 76 thyroid lesions inclu ding 10 not-otherwise-specified multinodular goiters (S_MNG), 11 multinodul ar goiters with adenomatous hyperplasia (AH_MNG), 8 normomacrovesicular (NM _ADE) and 12 microvesicular (MIC_ADE) adenomas, and 9 papillary (P_CAR), 10 follicular variants of papillary (FvarP_CAR), 7 follicular (F_CAR) and 9 a naplastic (A_CAR) carcinomas. The 8 histochemical probes included 5 animal lectins (including galectins and sarcolectin), 1 polyclonal antibody (raise d against calcyclin) and 2 immunoglobulin G subfractions from human serum w ith selectivity to alpha- and beta-galactosyl residues. The results show th at multinodular goiters with adenomatous hyperplasia exhibited histochemica l characteristics intermediate to those of normal multinodular goiters and microvesicular adenomas. Normomacrovesicular adenomas behaved very distinct ly from microvesicular ones. Microvesicular adenomas were more closely rela ted to differentiated thyroid carcinomas than any other type of benign thyr oid lesions of epithelial origin. Papillary and follicular carcinomas seeme d to represent the two extremes of the same biological entity with the foll icular variant of the papillary carcinoma serving as a biological link betw een these two extremes. Anaplastic carcinomas behaved in a significantly di fferent manner when compared to the differentiated forms of thyroid carcino mas. The results suggest that the patterns of expression of the glycoconjug ates investigated in the present study may constitute useful tools for char acterizing lesions in the human thyroid.