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The binding of peroxidase‐labelled lectins to human breast epithelium. III—altered fucose‐binding patterns of breast carcinomas and their significance
Author(s) -
Walker Rosemary A.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/path.1711440206
Subject(s) - ulex europaeus , glycoconjugate , fucose , epithelium , lectin , biology , lymph node , staining , pathology , agglutinin , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , immunology , medicine , glycoprotein
Tissue sections from 80 human breast carcinomas have been examined for evidence of binding of the two fucose‐specific lectins, Lotus tetragonolobus and Ulex europeus I , with enzymes utilized as an indicator system. Both singlestaining and double‐staining methods ( Lotus tetragonolobus‐peroxidase and Ulex europeus I‐alkaline phosphatase ) have been employed. In contrast to normal breast in which there is consistent reactivity of all epithelium with Lotus tetragonologus a variable loss of binding has been found within carcinomas. Surprisingly, this bears no relationship to tumour differentiation; nor does it correlate with local lymph node metastasis. Ulex europeus I has a variable reactivity with carcinomas, as it does with normal breast epithelium, and this likewise has no correlation with differentiation. However, a relationship has been found between specific patterns of binding and axillary lymph node status. The value of using two lectins with the same major sugar specificity but having different binding affinitics is illustrated in this study, in which differences in behavioural characteristics have been identified between fucose‐containing glycoconjugates having minor structural variations.