concanavalin-a and Carcinoma

Squamous epithelia represent a morphologically and differentiation-dependent stratified tissue. The stem cells are located in the bulge region of hair follicles or in the basal layer of interfollicular epidermis and in the limbus of the cornea. This article summarizes the data about the glycobiological aspects of squamous epithelia cell differentiation under physiological as well as pathological conditions in relation to the function of this epithelial tissue. The entries about the LC, Merkel cells and melanocytes are also mentioned. The employment of the described data in the diagnostics of carcinomas derived from this type of epithelium as well as in the cell therapy of skin defects are shown.

Topics: Agglutinins; Animals; Carcinoma; Cell Differentiation; Concanavalin A; Epidermal Cells; Epithelium; Humans; Islets of Langerhans; Lectins; Melanocytes; Merkel Cells; Models, Biological; Phenotype; Skin

This study aims to evaluate the production of interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 by stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from patients with supraglottic laryngeal cancer before and after surgical treatment.. Fourteen patients with advanced supraglottic laryngeal cancer were studied. Cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated during the preoperative and late postoperative periods were stimulated with concanavalin A and Bacille Calmette-Guerin, and the supernatant concentrations of interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 were measured.. For non-stimulated cultures, the interferon-gamma levels produced by the preoperative period and the late postoperative period cultures were lower than the levels produced by the control group cultures. The interferon-gamma levels after stimulation with concanavalin A were higher in the late postoperative period cultures than in the preoperative evaluation cultures. Stimulation with Bacille Calmette-Guerin led to the production of similar levels of interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 by all cultures; thus, stimulation increased the levels of interferon-gamma produced by both the preoperative and postoperative cultures relative to the levels produced by the corresponding unstimulated cultures.. Patients with advanced supraglottic laryngeal cancer exhibit an in vitro deficiency in interferongamma secretion by mononuclear cells. Stimulated cells seem to recover this function during the postoperative period.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Carcinoma; Case-Control Studies; Child; Concanavalin A; Cytokines; Female; Humans; Interferon-gamma; Interleukin-10; Laryngeal Neoplasms; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Male; Mitogens; Mycobacterium bovis; Neoplasm Staging; Statistics, Nonparametric; Young Adult

Combinations of cellular immune-based therapies with chemotherapy and other antitumour agents may be of significant clinical benefit in the treatment of many forms of cancer. Gamma delta (gammadelta) T cells are of particular interest for use in such combined therapies due to their potent antitumour cytotoxicity and relative ease of generation in vitro. Here, we demonstrate high levels of cytotoxicity against solid tumour-derived cell lines with combination treatment utilizing Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells, chemotherapeutic agents and the bisphosphonate, zoledronate. Pre-treatment with low concentrations of chemotherapeutic agents or zoledronate sensitized tumour cells to rapid killing by Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells with levels of cytotoxicity approaching 90%. In addition, zoledronate enhanced the chemotherapy-induced sensitization of tumour cells to Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell cytotoxicity resulting in almost 100% lysis of tumour targets in some cases. Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell cytotoxicity was mediated by perforin following TCR-dependent and isoprenoid-mediated recognition of tumour cells. Production of IFN-gamma by Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells was also induced after exposure to sensitized targets. We conclude that administration of Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells at suitable intervals after chemotherapy and zoledronate may substantially increase antitumour activities in a range of malignancies.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Breast Neoplasms; Burkitt Lymphoma; Carcinoma; Cell Line, Tumor; Cisplatin; Colorectal Neoplasms; Concanavalin A; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Diphosphonates; Doxorubicin; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Drug Synergism; Etoposide; Female; Genes, T-Cell Receptor delta; Genes, T-Cell Receptor gamma; Humans; Imidazoles; Interferon-gamma; Lovastatin; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins; Neoplasms; Perforin; Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; Prostatic Neoplasms; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; Vincristine; Zoledronic Acid

Previous investigations have suggested that expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) may be related to increased invasiveness of various tumors. This study evaluated a possible relation between pancreatic tumor cell invasiveness and MMPs.. A Matrigel invasion assay was performed with pancreatic tumor cell line SUIT-2 and its sublines S2-007, S2-013, S2-020, and S2-028. The degree of invasiveness of stimulated and unstimulated cell lines was correlated with MMP gene expression measured by RT-PCR and MMP protein product measured by gelatin zymography. Cell lines were stimulated by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), concanavalin (Con-A), and polymerized collagen type I gel (Vitrogen).. For SUIT-2, S2-007, S2-013, S2-020, and S2-028, 3.2, 1.0, 4.1, 6.4, and 0.4%, respectively, of the cells invaded the Matrigel membrane. TPA, Con-A, and Vitrogen resulted in the up-regulation of MMP-2 in S2-020. TPA and Vitrogen resulted in up-regulation of MMP-9 in each of the cell lines, while Con-A could up-regulate MMP-9 expression only in SUIT-2. There was no constitutive expression of either MMP-2 or MMP-9 in SUIT-2 or its sublines. There was a positive relationship between Matrigel invasiveness and up-regulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression.. These data suggest that, while MMP-2 and MMP-9 are not constitutively expressed in pancreatic carcinoma cell lines, they may be up-regulated by TPA, Con-A, and Vitrogen. Since MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression correlated with degree of tumor cell invasiveness, the ability to up-regulate MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression may play a role in facilitating pancreatic tumor cell invasion.

Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Carcinoma; Collagen; Concanavalin A; Drug Combinations; Extracellular Matrix; Gels; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Laminin; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; Matrix Metalloproteinases, Membrane-Associated; Metalloendopeptidases; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Proteoglycans; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Tumor development or growth is accompanied by impaired immune responses, such as a poor proliferative response or down-regulated cytolytic T lymphocyte activity. Although recent reports have suggested that modification of the signal-transducing molecule is responsible for impaired immune responses in tumor-bearing hosts, the causes of defective immune function are not yet completely understood. Furthermore, the clinical significance of the findings is not yet clear. In this study, we investigated the alteration of several signal-transducing molecules in peripheral blood T lymphocytes (T-PBL) as well as in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) from human colorectal carcinoma patients and their relationship with the impaired host immune responses. A greater reduction in CD3zeta chain level was observed in TIL than in T-PBL from tumor-bearing hosts. CD3zeta chain reduction in T-PBL correlated with the clinicopathological stage of a tumor, especially with the status of lymph node metastasis. The levels of p56lck and p59fyn protein tyrosine kinase in T-PBL were also compared between tumor-bearing hosts and normal healthy volunteers. In T-PBL from tumor-bearing hosts, expression of protein tyrosine kinase p59fyn was significantly lower than that of p56lck. However, the level of CD3zeta chain expression did not correlate with T lymphocyte functions such as T lymphocyte proliferative response or allogeneic target cell lysis.

Topics: Carcinoma; CD3 Complex; Colorectal Neoplasms; Concanavalin A; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn; Signal Transduction; T-Lymphocytes

Metastatic dissemination of epithelial ovarian carcinoma occurs primarily through exfoliation of cells from the primary tumor, with subsequent implantation, invasion, and growth throughout the organs within the peritoneal cavity. Previous studies have suggested a role for matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), particularly MMP-2, in ovarian cancer invasion and metastasis. To characterize further the role of MMPs and their inhibitors in ovarian carcinoma, in this study the production and activation of MMPs by short-term primary cultures of human ovarian epithelial carcinoma cells were analyzed. We report that MMP-2 is the predominant gelatinolytic MMP secreted by primary ovarian cancer cells derived from both ovarian tumors and ascites fluid. Furthermore, zymographic analysis demonstrated that MMP-2 is present in conditioned media in both the latent and activated forms, indicating that primary ovarian cancer cells catalyze proMMP-2 activation. Presence of a proMMP-2 activator was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and immunoprecipitation studies which found membrane-type 1 MMP (MT1-MMP) in the membranes of unstimulated cells and levels of both MT1-MMP and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) were enhanced by culturing cells in the presence of concanavalin A. In addition, interaction of MMP-2 with the ovarian carcinoma cell surface resulted in a 2.5- to 5-fold increase in invasiveness. These data suggest that MT1-MMP-catalyzed activation of proMMP-2 may play a physiologic role in intraperitoneal invasion of ovarian carcinoma cells.

Topics: Carcinoma; Collagen; Concanavalin A; Culture Media, Conditioned; Drug Combinations; Female; Gelatinases; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Laminin; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; Matrix Metalloproteinases, Membrane-Associated; Metalloendopeptidases; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Ovarian Neoplasms; Proteoglycans; Tumor Cells, Cultured

We determined the optimal conditions for the separation of N-glycosylation variants of prostate-specific antigen using concanavalin A. Concanavalin A is a lectin that binds to the terminal sugar residues of glycoproteins. We demonstrated that differences in the percentage of prostate-specific antigen bound to concanavalin A-Sepharose in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia compared with patients with prostatic carcinoma, as described in the literature, arise when insufficient concanavalin A binding sites are added for complete binding of the glycosylation variants of prostate-specific antigen. We observed similar percentages of prostate-specific antigen bound to concanavalin A-Sepharose for benign prostatic hyperplasia (86.3% +/- 7.5, mean +/- SD) and carcinoma patients (81.8% +/- 12.0, mean +/- SD), when sufficient concanavalin A-Sepharose was added to allow optimal binding, and when samples with high prostate-specific antigen concentrations were not pre-diluted before incubation with concanavalin A-Sepharose. We conclude that differentiation of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia or carcinoma of the prostate on the basis of differences in percentages of prostate-specific antigen bound to concanavalin A-Sepharose, i.e. separation of N-glycosylation variants, is not possible.

Topics: Binding Sites; Carcinoma; Chromatography, Affinity; Concanavalin A; Glycosylation; Humans; Male; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Prostatic Hyperplasia; Prostatic Neoplasms; Sepharose

The binding pattern of two lectins, concanavalin A (ConA) and peanut agglutin (PNA), in various phases of tumour progression in the oral epithelium was studied. These included non-dysplastic, dysplastic and neoplastic lesions as well as normal tissue. ConA and PNA showed intense staining in the basement membrane of all types of lesions. Little difference was observed in the staining patterns between different stages of oral carcinogenesis, either with ConA or PNA. ConA showed mild cytoplasmic and membrane staining in all types of lesions while PNA showed moderate to intense staining in both the cytoplasm and membrane of lower-layer cells in all histological groups. The present study therefore shows that these lectins have limited value in the elucidation of oral carcinogenesis and are of insignificant diagnostic value.

Topics: Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Papillary; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Concanavalin A; Glycoconjugates; Humans; Lectins; Leukoplakia, Oral; Mouth Mucosa; Mouth Neoplasms; Neoplasm Proteins; Peanut Agglutinin; Protein Binding

Enzymatic properties of phosphorylated urokinase plasminogen activator (P-uPA) (1) extracted from human carcinomatous cell line Detroit 562 cells were compared with those of non-phosphorylated uPA of urinary origin (nP-uPA). Using plasminogen as a substrate, the Km and Kcat of P-uPA were higher than that of nP-uPA while the Kcat/Km was lower. By zymography, a greater degree of plasminogen activation was observed. Concanavalin A reacted to both the enzymes. P-uPA had a low affinity for the inhibitors of plasminogen activator PAI-1 and PAI-2, and was inhibited only by the excess amounts of inhibitors. For PAI-1, and the KIs of P-uPA was greater and for PAI-2, KI was higher for P-uPA. These alterations by phosphorylation enable uPA to be more efficient in a focal proteolysis through plasminogen activation.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Carcinoma; Cell Line; Concanavalin A; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Humans; Kinetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Oligopeptides; Phosphorylation; Plasminogen Inactivators; Substrate Specificity; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

We studied several blood coagulation parameters and tumor tissue procoagulant activity (PCA) in nude mice bearing human colorectal carcinomas (HCC). In a control group of 51 tumor-free nude mice, platelet number was 1.2 +/- 0.03 x 10(6)/microliters, thrombotest activity 90% +/- 2.6 and fibrinogen 172 +/- 11 mg/dl. The same parameters were studied in nude mice (n = 71) bearing 7 different HCC lines subcutaneously (s.c.). The results did not significantly differ from those in control mice but there was broad variability among groups of mice injected with different HCC lines, ranging from 0.36 to 2.55 x 10(6)/microliters for platelets, from 100 to 28% for thrombotest activity and from 42 to 460 mg/dl for fibrinogen. The results were significantly (p less than 0.05) different from those in the tumor-free group when each group of HCC-bearing animals was analyzed individually. A malignant HCC line that grew in the liver of nude mice (n = 24) significantly (p less than 0.001) reduced thrombotest activity (58% +/- 5.9). The PCA of tissue extracts from tumors grown s.c. in nude mice was assayed. All the HCC xenografts expressed PCA which differed significantly for the various tumor lines (from 25.5 +/- 1.9 to 2.8 +/- 0.6 unit/mg in tumor tissue). Cancer procoagulant (CP), a cysteine proteinase with a direct factor-X-activating effect, was present in different amounts (84.7 +/- 4.3 to 59.5 +/- 9.0%) in the tumors. Our results indicates that the nude mouse is a suitable model for evaluating the hemostatic changes induced by human tumors and may represent a tool for investigating the underlying biochemical mechanisms.

Topics: Animals; Blood Coagulation; Carcinoma; Colorectal Neoplasms; Concanavalin A; Factor VII; Fibrinogen; Humans; Iodoacetamide; Mercuric Chloride; Mice; Mice, Nude; Neoplasm Transplantation; Platelet Count; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses were done on five cases of gastric carcinoma with excessive production of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Histologic and ultrastructural examination of these cases showed conventional poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of cuboidal or polygonal tumor cells in the medullary area with scattered AFP-positive cancer cells. Comparative studies on serum AFP between these cases and in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or in testicular yolk sac tumor cases using concanavalin A (ConA)-affinity and lens culinalis agglutinin A (LCA)-affinity sepharose columns revealed that the AFP derived from four cases had a high ConA nonadsorping rate and high LCA-reactive fraction similar to that of yolk sac tumor. The AFP from one case had a small LCA-reactive fraction similar to that of HCC. Further immunohistochemical study using several markers for liver cells or germ cell tumor did not show additional evidence of these tumor cells to differentiate into liver cells or yolk sac tumor cells. Thus, this study indicates that AFP-producing gastric carcinomas are not always derived from hepatoid differentiation of the foregut. These gastric carcinomas might be categorized into medullary tumor with gastrointestinal tract-specific AFP.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Aged; alpha-Fetoproteins; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoma; Chromatography, Affinity; Chromatography, Agarose; Concanavalin A; Cytoplasm; Female; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Lectins; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Middle Aged; Stomach Neoplasms

The freshly separated indicator cells (suspension of leukocytes) used in humoral leukocyte adherence inhibition test were labeled either with 14C-amino acid mixture or 3H-concanavalin A (3H-ConA). Instead of counting the adherent cells, the amount of 'adherent' radioactivity was measured by a liquid scintillation spectrometer. By the modified method, sera from 25 lung-carcinoma-bearing patients as well as serum samples from 21 healthy persons were examined in the presence of crude antigens prepared from 'normal' lung tissue or lung tumors of various histologic types. Although the results demonstrated high specificity and reproducibility of both methods, the binding of 3H-ConA to the surface of adherent cells is more expressed and assures higher levels of radioactivity.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adult; Aged; Amino Acids; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Small Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Concanavalin A; Female; Humans; Immunologic Techniques; Indicators and Reagents; Leukocyte Adherence Inhibition Test; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged

We examined the effects of pure first-trimester human trophoblast cells grown in long-term cultures or their secreted products on the proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes cultured alone, under allogeneic stimulation, or in the presence of concanavalin A. Both trophoblasts and their culture supernatants stimulated lymphocyte proliferation. Culture supernatant had a moderate enhancing effect on lymphocyte mitogenesis in mixed lymphocyte cultures and in the presence of concanavalin A. Anti-human chorionic gonadotropin antibody suppressed the proliferative effect of trophoblast cells and their supernatants in the above experiments in a dose-dependent manner. At physiologic concentrations, both pure and impure forms of human chorionic gonadotropin enhanced (in a dose-dependent manner) proliferation of lymphocytes cultured alone (peak stimulation index, 6 to 7.8 at approximately 7 IU/ml). At higher concentrations (20 to 400 IU/ml) the proliferative effect was abolished. Trophoblast culture supernatant induced the expression of interleukin-2 receptors on lymphocytes after 48 hours of incubation. The supernatant also stimulated proliferation of human colon carcinoma cells. Thus trophoblast or trophoblast-derived human chorionic gonadotropin has a lymphocytotrophic function that may have implications for fetal survival.

Topics: Carcinoma; Cell Communication; Cell Division; Cell Line; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Chorionic Gonadotropin; Colonic Neoplasms; Concanavalin A; Culture Media; Female; Humans; Isoantigens; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, First; Receptors, Interleukin-2; Trophoblasts

Lectin binding analysis of Con A, SBA, PNA, WGA, HPA, RCA-I, DBA, and UEA-I was performed in two cases of normal human adrenal gland, four cases of adrenocortical hyperplasia, six cases of adrenocortical adenoma, and seven cases of adrenocortical carcinoma to examine the differences of lectin binding properties. No lectins were bound specifically to adrenocortical cells. Binding of RCA-I was observed in some carcinoma cells focally but not in benign counterparts. With WGA and Con A, the cytoplasmic binding became apparent in the cells manifesting hypercorticism. In adrenocortical carcinoma, various WGA and Con A binding patterns were intermingled, but no specific patterns were identified. The focal nature of RCA-I binding, and no specific WGA and Con A binding properties in carcinoma, suggest that diagnosis of malignant neoplasm must still largely rely on clinical, hormonal, and structural criteria in adrenocortical neoplasms.

Topics: Adenoma; Adolescent; Adrenal Cortex; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms; Adult; Carcinoma; Child; Child, Preschool; Concanavalin A; Cushing Syndrome; Female; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Hyperplasia; Lectins; Male; Middle Aged; Plant Lectins; Wheat Germ Agglutinins

The effect of three lectins, Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA II), concanavalin agglutinin (ConA), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), on KK-47 bladder cancer cell line was studied, RCA II showed effective inhibition of H3-uridine and H3-thymidine uptake by KK-47. ConA showed a stimulatory effect in all three concentrations used. WGA also showed stimulatory effect, but it was less pronounced than ConA.

Topics: Carcinoma; Concanavalin A; Humans; Kinetics; Lectins; Plant Lectins; Plants, Toxic; Ricinus communis; Thymidine; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Uridine; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; Wheat Germ Agglutinins

This article documents a patient with lung carcinoma that produced three oncofetal antigens including alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Serum AFP, CEA, and hCG-beta-subunit were extremely high--118,000 ng/ml, 133 ng/ml and 0.9 ng/ml, respectively. Immunohistochemical staining of these tumor markers revealed that these proteins were present in different cells. The pattern of lectin affinity electrophoresis of AFP resembled that of hepatocellular carcinoma. Also investigated was the reactivity of serum CEA to monoclonal antibodies against peptide or sugar moieties. Serum CEA values measured by antipeptide monoclonal antibodies were higher than those measured by antisugar monoclonal antibodies. The demonstration of AFP, CEA, and hCG in different tumor cells suggests that three genomes were not reactivated together in a cell, and the lung carcinoma probably consisted of at least three clones of cancer cells with different phenotypes.

Topics: alpha-Fetoproteins; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Carcinoma; Chorionic Gonadotropin; Concanavalin A; Electrophoresis; Female; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Lung Neoplasms; Middle Aged

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Carcinoma; Concanavalin A; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Lymphocyte Activation; Middle Aged; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; T-Lymphocytes

Depression of mitogenic responses in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is well documented. The cause of depression has been supposed to be the presence of elevated suppressor cell activity in the peripheral blood of NPC patients. Both spontaneous and Con A-induced suppressor cell activities were examined in 56 pathologically verified NPC patients and 36 age-matched controls. The data showed no alteration of spontaneous or Con A-induced suppressor cell activities in NPC patients. Neither did the quality and quantity of suppressor cell activities correlate with the clinical stage. Therefore the question becomes whether elevated suppressor cell activities might cause the depression of mitogenic responses in NPC patients? Future research on helper cells and intrinsic abnormalities of immune responding cells at the molecular level are suggested.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Carcinoma; Concanavalin A; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Serum concentrations of serum amyloid A protein (SAA), peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) mitogenic response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and Concanavalin A (Con A), numbers of circulating T- and B-lymphocytes and length of survival after diagnosis were measured in 50 patients with cancer of the lung. SAA levels were significantly elevated when compared to 50 control subjects (P less than 0.001), but did not correlate with state of tumor spread at the time of diagnosis. Mitogenic responses of PBL from the cancer patients to PHA and Con A were significantly depressed (P less than 0.001), but also did not predict state of metastatic spread. The percentage of circulating T-lymphocytes was also significantly depressed in cancer patients when compared to controls. In six patients who survived tumor-free for greater than 2.5 years, SAA serum concentrations returned to normal. Statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between SAA serum concentrations and PBL mitogenic response to Con A. In addition, both high SAA concentrations and depressed PBL responses to Con A correlated with shortened survival. Therefore, these parameters may be of value in evaluating prognosis in patients with lung cancer. In addition, serial monitoring of SAA concentrations may be of value in evaluating recurrence or cure of lung cancer.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adult; Aged; Amyloid; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Small Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Lung Neoplasms; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Phytohemagglutinins; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Serum Amyloid A Protein

A lectin reactivity specific to human bowel carcinoma is reported. Twenty-six cases of carcinoma of the large intestine were examined. Normal as well as transitional mucosa and carcinoma tissues were removed from surgical specimens, and paraffin sections were stained with a battery of histochemical methods to characterize glycoconjugates, including high iron diamine-Alcian blue pH 2.5, modified PAS reaction to detect various sialic acids, paradoxical concanavalin A (Con A) staining, and stainings with 10 species of lectins labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Among the techniques employed, only Griffonia simplicifolia agglutinin-II (GS-II, specific to glucosamine)-HRP staining revealed highly selective affinity to the carcinoma tissues; the apical surface of the carcinoma cells stained most intensely. GS-II reactivity of the cells persisted after prior periodate oxidation, but was significantly enhanced by neuraminidase digestion. Comparison with two other lectin stainings with the same sugar specificity, viz. paradoxical concanavalin A staining and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-HRP staining, showed that the GS-II reactive sites lacked class III Con A reactivity but were possibly included in WGA reactive sites. The GS-II-HRP staining should be helpful in the identification of carcinoma tissue and for analysis of carcinoma-associated antigens.

Topics: Antigens, Neoplasm; Carcinoma; Colonic Neoplasms; Concanavalin A; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa; Lectins; Mucins; Neuraminidase; Oxidation-Reduction; Periodic Acid; Plant Lectins; Staining and Labeling; Wheat Germ Agglutinins

In an attempt to delineate the role of tumor-cell motility in the process of invasion, we compared the migration of NBT II in a two-dimensional migration assay with its migration in a three-dimensional invasion assay. Both systems were maintained with and without succinylated concanavalin A (s-Con A) dissolved in the culture medium. This lectin has a reversible inhibitory effect on the migration of cells in vitro. The migration of NBT-II aggregates, seeded in flasks containing 200 micrograms/ml s-Con A or without s-Con A, was studied by time-lapse photomicrography. In the presence of s-Con A, migration was immediately stopped. When the treated medium was replaced by culture medium to which 10 mM alpha-methyl-mannose was added, the inhibition of migration was abolished. The invasive capacity of NBT II in the presence or absence of s-Con A was studied by confronting precultured fragments of 9- to 11-day-old embryonic chick heart (0.4 mm in diameter) with NBT-II aggregates (0.2 mm) made in the presence or absence of s-Con A. Light microscopy showed no difference in the extent of invasion. To demonstrate the presence of s-Con A in the invading tumor cells, immunoperoxidase staining for Con A was done. The treated cultures stained positively while the controls were negative. The data presented here question the correlation between tumor-cell motility in two-dimensional system and the invasive behavior of these cells in three dimensions, and implies that the ability or inability of cells to migrate on plastic does not necessarily reflect their invasiveness in vitro.

Topics: Animals; Carcinoma; Cell Line; Cell Movement; Concanavalin A; Epithelium; Methods; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

A total of 19 patients, treated for aggressive tumors with high-dose chemo/radiotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT), were studied for concanavalin-A (Con A)-induced proliferation and Con-A-induced cytotoxicity. Ten patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies before BMT showed increased Con-A-induced cytotoxicity before and from 100 days after BMT, while Con-A-induced proliferation decreased to less than 10% of control values after BMT and remained so. Nine CMV-negative patients showed normal cytotoxic capacity before and after BMT, while Con-A-induced proliferation recovered slowly from day +30 after BMT. Con-A-induced cytotoxicity was not significantly different between CMV-positive and CMV-negative patients, while Con-A-induced proliferation showed significant differences from day +100 onward.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Adult; Antibodies, Viral; Bone Marrow Cells; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Carcinoma; Cell Division; Combined Modality Therapy; Concanavalin A; Cytomegalovirus; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Female; Humans; Leukemia; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma; Male; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic; Testicular Neoplasms

The role of OKT4+ and OKT8+ T-cell subsets was studied in lectin-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (LDCC) against adherent HEp-2 human epipharynx carcinoma target cells. LDCC was evaluated by detachment from the monolayer of [3H]thymidine prelabeled HEp-2 cells in a 24-hr assay with a concanavalin A (Con A) dose of 25 microgram/ml at effector:target cell ratios of 5:1, 25:1, and 50:1. Under these conditions but without Con A considerable natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NCMC) was not elicited; however, the cytotoxicity was significantly augmented in the presence of Con A (=LDCC) by sheep erythrocyte rosette-forming T lymphocytes and by both OKT4+ and OKT8+ T-cell fractions. LDCC activity by isolated OKT8+ T cells was superior to that by OKT4+ T cells and unfractionated T lymphocytes. By contrast, addition of either OKT4+ or OKT8+ T cells together with unfractionated T lymphocytes, or OKT4+ and OKT8+ T cells mixed at ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1, to target cells did not result in major differences in comparison of LDCC activities by these mixed effector cell populations with each other or with that by unfractionated T lymphocytes. Parallel studies were carried out to determine the effect of OKT4+ and OKT8+ T-cell subsets on the Con A-induced proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). While OKT8+ T cells inhibited the mitogenic response to Con A, OKT4+ T lymphocytes had no major effect. A higher responsiveness of the OKT8+ to OKT4+ T-cell subset in LDCC to HEp-2 targets and in Con A-induced lymphocyte proliferation is suggested.

Topics: Antibodies, Monoclonal; Carcinoma; Cell Line; Cell Separation; Concanavalin A; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Phenotype; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Carcinoma; Concanavalin A; Female; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Immunoglobulins; Kenya; Lymphocyte Activation; Middle Aged; Monocytes; Phytohemagglutinins; Skin Tests; T-Lymphocytes; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Kupffer cells from the liver of normal rats were checked for their natural cytostatic capabilities using an in vitro target cell growth inhibition assay. A strong cytostatic effect was observed on an human tumor cell line and was shown to be exerted on various transformed or normal target cells with only small differences in their susceptibility. The inhibition of target cell proliferation was shown to depend on the effector/target cell ratio. Different experimental data suggest that an intimate membranal contact between Kupffer cells and target cells is required.

Topics: Animals; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Cycle; Cell Line; Cells, Cultured; Chick Embryo; Concanavalin A; DNA Replication; Embryo, Mammalian; Fibroblasts; Humans; Kupffer Cells; Liver; Mouth Neoplasms; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Ultraviolet Rays

A new technique for the detection of glycoprotein antigens in immune complexes (IC) isolated from serum is described. The technique was developed with a model IC system consisting of ovalbumin (OVA)-rabbit anti-ovalbumin antibodies (aOVA), at 3 times antigen excess. OVA-aOVA IC added to normal human serum (NHS) were purified by absorption onto and elution from tubes coated with rheumatoid factor (RF) and were subjected to electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels. Concanavalin A (Con A)-binding proteins were detected by treating the gels with radioiodinated Con A (125Con A), followed by autoradiography. IC isolated from sera of patients with Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) were analyzed before and after reduction with dithiothreitol. Two closely spaced proteins of about 40 kdalton were identified in the reduced samples in 26 of 30 BL sera (86%) and in 24 of 30 NPC sera (80%) but were not seen in 30 sera of African patients with a variety of unrelated tumors nor in 12 sera of European blood bank donors.

Topics: Antigen-Antibody Complex; Antigens, Neoplasm; Burkitt Lymphoma; Carcinoma; Concanavalin A; Glycoproteins; Humans; Molecular Weight; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Prognosis

The effect of anaplastic carcinoma (15091A) and fibroblast cell culture supernates was examined in conjunction with Concanavalin A (Con A) on the splenic lymphocyte transformation of syngeneic A/J mice. Though both the tumor and normal cell culture supernates caused a dose-dependent suppression of the in vitro DNA synthesis of lymphocytes, larger depressive effects were observed with the former. Similar results were observed with supernates collected from tumor cell and fibroblast cultures in 10% heat inactivated fetal calf serum or serum-free media. The results of these experiments indicate that the depressed immunological reactivity observed in animals and human with cancer may be attributed to enhanced release of immunosuppressive factor(s) by malignant tissue into the body fluids of hosts.

Topics: Animals; Carcinoma; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; DNA; Fibroblasts; Immunosuppression Therapy; Immunosuppressive Agents; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred A

Indomethacin (prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor) was found to be capable of enhancing the mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferative responses of healthy subjects and patients with lung cancer. A whole-blood culture technique was used. Indomethacin had no mitogenic activity. We observed a greater enhancement of lymphocyte response by indomethacin in weak responders as compared with strong responders in healthy subjects and lung cancer patients. A greater enhancement was also noted in lung cancer patients with active disease as compared with lung cancer patients in remission. In a separated cell culture system, the indomethacin exerted no effect on purified T cells in the absence of monocytes, while this agent exerted its enhancement effect on T lymphocyte response in the presence of autologous monocytes of lung cancer patients. This suggests that monocytes (suppressor cells) may secrete prostaglandins, which are responsible for the impairment of T lymphocyte response in lung cancer patients.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Carcinoma; Concanavalin A; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans; Indomethacin; Lung Neoplasms; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; Phytohemagglutinins; Pokeweed Mitogens; T-Lymphocytes

Concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) responses of spleen and blood lymphocytes from tumor-bearing (TB) rats were found to be markedly depressed in 4 different models employing tumors of spontaneous origin. Removal of phagocytic cells from both spleen and blood lymphocyte suspensions led to a complete restoration of the responses, indicating that the decreased responses were not due to intrinsic defects in the lymphocytes. The reduction was shown to be due to the inhibitory effect of an increase in the percentage of phagocytic cells. In addition, TB induced an atrophy of the thymus and a decrease in the number of thymic lymphocytes, mainly due to severe lymphocyte depletion in the cortex. The cells that remained in the thymus exhibited increased responsiveness to PHA and Con A as compared to thymus cells from normal rats. Similar results were found in hydrocortisone acetate-treated rats, suggesting that TB leads to a decrease in nonresponsive, cortical corticosteroid-sensitive thymocytes.

Topics: Animals; Carcinoma; Concanavalin A; Female; Lectins; Lymphocyte Activation; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplasms, Experimental; Rats; Spleen; T-Lymphocytes; Thymus Gland; Transplantation Immunology; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

Fibroblasts underlying human uterine cervical dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and invasive carcinoma are agglutinable by concanavalin A (Con A) but not by wheat germ agglutinin, except at very high concentration. Studies with low levels of Con A show that maximal agglutination is obtained with fibroblasts from invasive carcinoma, while the fibroblasts underlying dysplasia give minimal agglutination reactions. Fibroblasts underlying carcinoma in situ give agglutination reactions halfway between those obtained with fibroblasts underlying dysplasia and invasive carcinoma. An epithelial-like cell line obtained from a case of dysplasia shows agglutinability by Con A very similar to that obtained with fibroblasts underlying dysplasia. These epithelial-like cells are also not agglutinable by wheat germ agglutinin. Treatment of the cervical cells, both epithelial and fibroblasts, with neuraminidase leads to slight increase in agglutination by both Con A and wheat germ agglutinin. Marked increase in agglutination is not obtained even after treatment with high concentration of neuraminidase (10 units/10(6) cells). Marked agglutinability, however, is observed after trypsin treatment. The results suggest that, while the fibroblasts obtained from normal cervix are not agglutinable by Con A, surface alterations necessary for Con A-specific agglutination exist in fibroblasts during the early stage of development of uterine cervical epithelial neoplasia (dysplasia) and increase with the progression through carcinoma in situ to invasive carcinoma. Loss of cell surface sialic acids may result in a slight increase in agglutinability, but some other mechanism(s) is likely to be involved in alteration of surface properties that lead to marked agglutinability of the human uterine cervical cells obtained from cancer precursor lesions.

Topics: Agglutination; Carcinoma; Carcinoma in Situ; Cell Line; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; Epithelial Cells; Epithelium; Female; Fibroblasts; Humans; Lectins; Neuraminidase; Precancerous Conditions; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Topics: Animals; Body Weight; Carcinoma; Concanavalin A; Female; Genotype; Graft vs Host Reaction; Hybridization, Genetic; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mononuclear Phagocyte System; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplasms, Experimental; Organ Size; Spleen; T-Lymphocytes; Time Factors

A variety of epithelial cells and fibroblasts fail to move over one another's upper surfaces in culture, resulting in monolayering. The failure of seeded fibroblasts to adhere to and spread on epithelial cell surfaces suggests that monolayering in culture is due to the lack of adhesion of the upper cell surface, at least of epithelial cells. Seeded fibroblasts and postmitotic, rounded fibroblasts likewise fail to spread on the upper surfaces of spread fibroblasts, suggesting that the inability of the upper cell surface to support spreading may be a general phenomenon. Inert particles and cell processes do not adhere directly to the upper cell surface. However, they can initiate adhesions to the surface at a cell's free margin, suggesting a variation of adhesive properties over a cell's surface.

Topics: Animals; Carcinoma; Cell Adhesion; Cell Aggregation; Cell Division; Cell Line; Cell Membrane; Cell Movement; Concanavalin A; Cornea; Epithelial Cells; Epithelium; Erythrocytes; Fibroblasts; Gizzard, Non-avian; Humans; Latex; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; Microspheres; Mitosis; Motion Pictures; Mouth Neoplasms; Sarcoma; Skin; Time Factors

Topics: Agglutination; Animals; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Line; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Concanavalin A; Cricetinae; Fibroblasts; HeLa Cells; Humans; Kidney; Laryngeal Neoplasms; Lectins; Lung; Mice; Mouth Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Experimental; Trypsin

Topics: Agglutination; Animals; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Line; Cell Membrane; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Chick Embryo; Concanavalin A; Cricetinae; Cycloheximide; Cytarabine; Floxuridine; Humans; Immune Sera; Kidney; Laryngeal Neoplasms; Lectins; Methods; Newcastle disease virus; Simplexvirus; Time Factors; Trypsin; Vitamin A

Topics: Adenoviridae Infections; Agglutination; Animals; Ataxia Telangiectasia; Carcinoma; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Chromosome Aberrations; Chromosome Disorders; Chromosome Mapping; Chromosomes; Colonic Neoplasms; Concanavalin A; Culture Techniques; Humans; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin E; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Rats

Topics: Acetylcholine; Adult; Brain; Brain Chemistry; Breast Neoplasms; Bronchial Neoplasms; Carcinoma; Cell Migration Inhibition; Concanavalin A; Epinephrine; Epitopes; Female; Histamine; Humans; Laryngeal Neoplasms; Lymphocytes; Macrophages; Male; Middle Aged; Myasthenia Gravis; Neoplasm Proteins; Neoplasms; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Norepinephrine; Sarcoidosis; Serotonin; Stomach Neoplasms; Succinylcholine; Tryptamines

Topics: Carcinoma; Cell Migration Inhibition; Cell Movement; Concanavalin A; Culture Techniques; Lectins; Lymphoma; Neoplasms, Experimental