VALIDATION OF THE GALACTOSE-OXIDASE SCHIFFS REAGENT SEQUENCE FOR EARLY DETECTION AND PROGNOSIS IN HUMAN COLORECTAL ADENOCARCINOMA

Based on the multistage and multifocal nature of colorectal carcinogen esis, it is likely that reduction of cancer mortality through early de tection and identification of new prognostic markers is an attainable goal, Well-documented changes occur in mucin glycoconjugates during ne oplastic progression in the colon, and the nonneoplastic colonic mucos a in colon cancer patients is morphologically and histochemically abno rmal, In this retrospective study, 152 archival colorectal tissues fro m 49 patients were studied for changes in mucin secretions as detected by the galactose oxidase-Schiff's (GOS) sequence, Intensity of the st ain was evaluated in histological sections by semiquantitative analysi s, and the area percentage of epithelium stained was quantified by ima ge cytometry, The correlation between gender or tumor size, location a nd reactivity with peanut agglutinin and quantitative expression of GO S-reactive mucins was determined as well as intratumor and inter indiv idual variability, Reactivity with GOS: (a) decreased during neoplasti c progression and malignant conversion in the neoplasm: (b) increased in the normal colonic mucosa of patients with progressively more advan ced disease; and (c) was of prognostic significance for patient surviv al or recurrence both in the normal colon of cancer patients and in in vasive neoplasms, These data are consistent with the conclusion that G OS reactivity in the normal colonic mucosa is a dosimeter of exposure to environmental/lifestyle colorectal carcinogens rather than a marker for an oncodevelopmental cancer-associated antigen.