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American Journal of Pathology, Vol 119, 420-429, Copyright © 1985 by American Society for Investigative Pathology

REGULAR ARTICLES

Differences in lectin binding in tissue sections of human and murine malignant tumors and their metastases

HJ Kahn and R Baumal

Lectin binding to tumor cells in tissue sections of 16 nonmetastatic and 24 metastatic human adenocarcinomas and 5 nonmetastatic and 5 metastatic murine Lewis lung carcinomas (LLCs) was assessed with an avidin-biotin peroxidase technique. In human tumors, Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA I) showed no binding; whereas concanavalin A (Con A), Ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCA I), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), soybean agglutinin (SBA), and Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) bound equally to primaries and metastases. However, peanut agglutinin (PNA) bound to less than 5% of cells in 37 of 40 primaries but to greater than 50% of cells in 18 of 24 metastases. In LLC tumors, UEA I and DBA showed no binding; whereas Con A, RCA I, and WGA bound equally to primaries and metastases. SBA bound to greater than 50% of cells in 5 metastases but not to the 5 primaries. There was less than 5% binding of PNA to 10 primary murine tumors after neuraminidase pretreatment of tissue sections but greater than 50% binding in 3 of 5 metastases. These studies indicate, in both human adenocarcinomas and an experimental tumor system, that most tumor cells which metastasize show preferential binding of PNA and SBA.