To elucidate the clinical significance of phenotypic alterations of Lewis antigen in gastric cancer patients, we investigated Lewis antigens by analyzing the genotypes of the Le and Se genes and by comparing the results obtained with the phenotypic expression of Lewis antigen in gastric cancer tissue and blood cells. One hundred and twenty gastric cancer patients were examined and compared with respect to Lewis blood phenotype and genotype. The expression of Lea, Leb, sialylated Lea, and sialylated Lex antigens was immunohistochemically examined in uninvolved gastric mucosa, intestinal metaplasia, and cancerous tissue. We also analyzed the significance of Lewis antigen expression by analyzing patient survival. The frequencies of the Lewis phenotypes of RBCs corresponding to Le(a+b-), Le(a-b+), and Le(a-b-) were 16%, 58%, and 26%, respectively. The Le and le allele gene frequencies calculated from genotyping in gastric cancer patients were 0.623 and 0.377, respectively. The frequency for Le(a-b-) of the RBC phenotype had a tendency to be higher in cancer patients than in normal healthy Koreans. However, no difference in the Lewis gene frequency was found between these gastric cancer patients and healthy persons. The phenotype of Le(a-b+) was most prevalent in uninvolved gastric mucosal tissue, whereas the most prevalent form in tumor tissue was Le(a-b-). Sialyl-Lea and sialyl-Lex antigens were hardly detectable in uninvolved gastric mucosa, whereas the two antigens were expressed highly in intestinal metaplastic mucosa and tumor cells. In conclusion, the loss of Lewis antigen expression in tissue and on RBCs in gastric cancer patients is not a result of genetic influences, but rather a result of sialylation in tissue. We also confirm that poor prognosis is associated with dimeric sialyl-Lex and vascular spread.
Adult ; Aged ; Alleles ; Erythrocytes/*chemistry ; Female ; Fucosyltransferases/*analysis/genetics ; Gangliosides/analysis ; Genotype ; Human ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Metaplasia ; Middle Age ; Oligosaccharides/analysis ; Phenotype ; Stomach Neoplasms/*blood/genetics/mortality

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Abnormalities of the peripheral nervous system occur in 5% of patients with lymphoma. Polyneuropathy has not been described in patients with mantle-cell and marginal-zone B-cell lymphomas. CASE REPORT: Two elderly patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma developed a progressive sensory polyneuropathy that was associated with serum autoantibodies directed against asialosyl/sialosyl gangliosides and myelin-associated glycoprotein/sulfated glucuronyl paragloboside, respectively, which are peripheral-nerve antigens. The oligoclonal pattern of these antibodies hinted at a lymphoma-induced immune dysregulation. The neuropathy stabilized clinically during treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin G. B-cell lymphoma was managed with a "watchful waiting" approach. CONCLUSIONS: The concept of antigen-specific, immune-mediated neuropathy associated with slow-growing lymphoma of mature B-cells may be underrecognized. The principle of treating the illness underlying neuropathy may not be always indicated or necessary if risk-benefit and cost-benefit analyses are taken into account.
Aged ; Antibodies ; Autoantibodies ; Autoimmunity ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Gangliosides ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin* ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Polyneuropathies*

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to screen sialyl Lewis(a) (sLe(a)) in the tumors of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to explore the association of sialyl Lewis(a) expression with local lymph node metastasis.

METHODSSpecimen from 38 patients with primary OSCC were obtained and analyzed by immunohistochemical methods.

RESULTSThe expression of sLe(a) protein, but not E-selectin, of OSCCs significantly correlated to the local lymph node metastasis. sLe(a) was expressed in 79% (15/19) of the metastatic cases compared with 21% (4/19) of the non-metastasis ones, indicated the association of sLe(a) expression with the local lymph involvement.

CONCLUSIONHigh expression of sLe(a) in OSCC may be related to the metastasis of cervical lymph nodes and it seems useful in predicting poor prognosis in OSCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate ; analysis ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; chemistry ; genetics ; pathology ; secondary ; E-Selectin ; analysis ; genetics ; Female ; Gangliosides ; analysis ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Neoplasms ; chemistry ; genetics ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo assess the significance of expression of sialylated carbohydrate antigens and nm23-H1 gene in metastasis and prognosis of breast cancer.

METHODSTissue specimens from 102 cases of primary breast cancer were stained with antibodies against sialyl Lewis A (SleA) and salyl Lewis X (SleX), and nm23-H1 proteins by immunohistochemical methods.

RESULTOf the 102 cases, the positive cases of SleA and SleX were 24.5% (25/102) and 59.89% (61/102),respectively; the reduced expression of nm23-H1 was showed in 37.3% (38/102) of the cases. The positive expression of SleX and the reduced expression of nm23-H1 gene were significantly associated with lymph node involvement. Among the 100 patients who underwent curative surgery, the disease-free survival rate was significantly correlated with nm23-H1 and SleX expression, respectively,but not with SleA expression. In multivariate analysis using Cox regression model, combination assay of nm23 H1 and SleX expression emerged as independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONThese results suggest that nm23-H1 gene and SleX may be involved in the metastatic process in human breast cancer, and immunohistochemical detection of SleX and nm23-H1 may be used as a biologic marker of prognosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Breast Neoplasms ; chemistry ; genetics ; mortality ; Female ; Gangliosides ; analysis ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases ; Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase ; genetics ; Oligosaccharides ; analysis ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate

In the injured brain, microglia is known to be activated and produce proinflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). We investigated the role of protein kinase A (PKA) in microglial activation by both plasminogen and gangliosides in rat primary microglia and in the BV2 immortalized murine microglial cell line. Both plasminogen and gangliosides induced IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and iNOS mRNA expression, and that this expression was inhibited by the addition of the PKA inhibitors, KT5720 and H89. Both plasminogen and gangliosides activated PKA and increased the DNA binding activity of the cAMP response element- binding protein (CREB). Furthermore, KT5720 and H89 reduced the DNA binding activities of CREB and NF-kappaB in plasminogen-treated cells. These results suggest that PKA plays an important role in plasminogen and gangliosides- induced microglial activation.
Animals ; Carbazoles/pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors/*physiology ; DNA-Binding Protein, Cyclic AMP-Responsive/metabolism ; DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism ; Gangliosides/pharmacology/*physiology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Indoles/pharmacology ; Interleukin-1/genetics ; Isoquinolines/pharmacology ; Mice ; Microglia/drug effects/*enzymology/*immunology ; NF-kappa B/metabolism ; Nitric-Oxide Synthase/genetics ; Plasminogen/pharmacology/*physiology ; Pyrroles/pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger/analysis/metabolism ; Rats ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Sulfonamides/pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics