Human colon adenocarcinomas express a MUC1-associated novel carbohydrate epitope on core mucin glycans defined by a monoclonal antibody (A10) raised against murine Ehrlich tumor cells. (1/764)

A monoclonal antibody (mAb; A10) raised against murine Ehrlich tumor cell surface carbohydrates was tested for reactivity with human normal and malignant tissues. A10 reacted strongly, with a high proportion of adenocarcinomas arising from colon and other tissues but not with breast carcinomas or other malignant tumors. Normal tissues were virtually A10 unreactive, except for the duct cells from breast and pancreas and some bronchial mucosae. Ultrastructural studies showed mAb A10 immunolabeling of both microvilli and mucin droplets in colon cancer cells but not in normal absorptive or globet cells. A10 reacted strongly with mucin-enriched fractions from colon cancer tissues and HT-29 xenografts but not from normal colon tissues. A10 epitope was carried on MUC1 derived from colon adenocarcinomas and probably on other mucin species, although not on MUC2 molecules. A10 epitope was resistant to exoglycosidases and periodate oxidation but sensitive to the Smith's degradation and beta-elimination, suggesting the involvement of O-linked carbohydrates in nonterminal reducing positions. A mucin-type glycosidic linkage was supported because of the lack of A10 reactivity with HT-29 cells grown with phenyl-N-acetyl-alpha-D-galactosaminide. Deglycosylation studies with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid pointed to the involvement of core mucin glycans in the A10 epitope. This epitope was resistant to protease, O- and N-glycanase treatments carried out on trifluoromethanesulfonic acid-deglycosylated mucins. Inhibition studies with core 1, core 2, core 3, and core 6 suggested the latter [GlcNAcbeta(1-6)GalNAc] as being involved in A10 epitope. Taken together, the present results point to A10 defining a core 6-related epitope on core mucin glycans expressed by colon cancer MUC1 not previously associated with human cancer.  (+info)

Dietary determinants of colorectal proliferation in the normal mucosa of subjects with previous colon adenomas. (2/764)

Dietary determinants of colorectal mucosa proliferation were studied in 69 subjects previously operated for at least two sporadic colon adenomas. Information on recent dietary habits was collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire, and proliferation was measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation in colorectal biopsies by determining the labeling index (LI) and the percentage of LI in the upper part of the crypt, two parameters that are increased in subjects at high risk of colon cancer. The LI was significantly higher in women as compared with men (P = 0.01). Diet showed several associations with colorectal mucosa proliferation: (a) subjects in the highest tertile of fish consumption had a significantly lower LI (P = 0.0013) compared with those in the lower tertiles [5.20 +/- 1.87 versus 6.80 +/- 2.18 (mean +/- SD)]; (b) subjects with a low red meat consumption had lower proliferation in the upper part of the crypt [2.38 +/- 2.10, 5.30 +/- 4.62, and 5.89 +/- 4.82 in the low, middle, and high tertile of consumption, respectively (mean +/- SD); P = 0.0093]; (c) according to estimated nutrient intakes, the LI was lower in subjects reporting a high intake of starch (P = 0.006) and higher in subjects with a low intake of beta-carotene (P = 0.002). The results show that subjects reporting a diet rich in fish, starch, and beta-carotene and low in red meat had lower colorectal mucosa proliferation and a normal pattern of proliferation along the crypt. Given the correlation between colorectal proliferative activity and colon cancer risk, such a dietary pattern might be beneficial for subjects at high risk of colon cancer.  (+info)

Differential expression of a new tumor-associated antigen, TLP, during human colorectal cancer tumorigenesis. (3/764)

Tumour liberated particles (TLP) have been proposed as a potential new serum tumor marker. In particular, a high percentage of patients with early stages of lung cancer scored positive for serum TLP, suggesting its possible role as a marker for early diagnosis of disease. The aim of the present study was to analyze the expression of TLP in the colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence in order to determine whether its expression correlates with the various stages of cancer transformation. TLP distribution was assessed by immunohistochemistry in normal, premalignant, and malignant colorectal lesions. Normal colonic mucosa and hyperplastic polyps showed no positive staining, whereas adenomas and adenocarcinomas reacted to anti-TLP serum. The percentage of positive tumor cells increased from adenomas with mild dysplasia to adenomas with severe dysplasia. Moreover, a supranuclear staining pattern was observed mainly in adenomas with mild dysplasia, whereas adenomas with severe dysplasia as well as adenocarcinomas showed a characteristic diffuse staining pattern and a strong staining intensity. Only a few cases of adenocarcinoma were found to be TLP-negative and all were poorly differentiated. Our results suggest that TLP antigen expression may be considered as a marker of epithelial atypia in the colorectal tract and as a potential target for new diagnostic and/or therapeutic approaches to human colorectal cancer.  (+info)

A bile acid-induced apoptosis assay for colon cancer risk and associated quality control studies. (4/764)

Bile acids are important in the etiology of colorectal cancer. Bile acids induce apoptosis in colonic goblet cells at concentrations comparable to those found in fecal water after high-fat meals. Preliminary evidence indicated that cells of the normal-appearing (nontumorous) portion of the colon epithelium of colon cancer patients are more resistant to bile salt-induced apoptosis than are cells from normal individuals. In the present study, 68 patients were examined, and biopsies were taken at 20 cm from the anal verge, cecum, and descending colon. The patients included 17 individuals with a history of colorectal cancer, 37 individuals with adenomas, and 14 individuals who were neoplasia free. The mean bile salt-induced apoptotic index among normal individuals was 57.6 +/- 3.47 (SE), which differed significantly (P < 0.05) from the mean value of 36.41 +/- 3.12 in individuals with a history of colon cancer. The correlation between independent observers was 0.89 (P < 0.001), indicating good interobserver reliability. Components of variance comparing interindividual versus intraindividual sources of variation suggested that site-to-site variability, both between regions of the colon and for adjacent biopsies, was larger than the interpatient variability for individuals with a history of neoplasia. Therefore, there was "patchiness" of the susceptibility of regions of the colon to bile acid-induced apoptosis in individuals with a history of neoplasia (a patchy field effect). There was no obvious correlation of low-apoptotic index regions with regions in which previous neoplasias had been found and removed. On the other hand, for normal, i.e., neoplasia-free, individuals, there was relatively less intraindividual variation compared to interindividual variation. Our assay shows an association between resistance to bile acid-induced apoptosis, measured at 20 cm from the anal verge, and colon cancer risk. Thus, this assay may prove useful as a biomarker of colon cancer risk.  (+info)

Frequent mutation of beta-catenin and APC genes in primary colorectal tumors from patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. (5/764)

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is characterized by defective DNA mismatch repair, which results in genetic instability of tumors; however, only a few target genes have been recognized. Our previous study detected a low frequency of APC gene mutation (21%) in colorectal tumors from HNPCC patients, in contrast to a high frequency of APC gene alteration (>70%) in non-HNPCC tumors. Because both beta-catenin and ACP gene mutations have recently been shown to activate the same signaling pathway, we analyzed beta-catenin mutation in HNPCC tumors. A notable frequency of beta-catenin gene mutation (43%, 12 of 28) was found to occur in HNPCC colorectal tumors. Beta-catenin mutations were not detected in tumors with APC mutations. All beta-catenin mutations detected in HNPCC tumors existed within the regulatory domain of beta-catenin. Immunohistochemical staining of tumors with this mutation showed accumulation of beta-catenin protein in nuclei. These and previous data from our laboratory suggest that activation of the beta-catenin-Tcf signaling pathway, through either beta-catenin or APC mutation, contributes to HNPCC colorectal carcinogenesis in approximately 65% of cases.  (+info)

Up-regulation of macrophage wnt gene expression in adenoma-carcinoma progression of human colorectal cancer. (6/764)

Defects in the APC-beta-catenin pathway are common in colon cancer. We investigated whether aberrant regulation of upstream ligands stimulating this pathway occur in colon cancer. Using RNAase protection analysis, six out of eight wnt genes were expressed in 14 matched cases of normal, adenomatous and malignant colorectal tissues. Wnt 2 and wnt 5a were significantly up-regulated in the progression from normal through adenoma to carcinoma. Transcripts for wnts 4, 7b, 10b and 13, but not wnt 2 and wnt 5a were detected in several colorectal cell lines. In situ hybridization demonstrated that wnt 2 and wnt 5a transcripts were mainly in the lamina propria/stroma region with labelling predominantly in macrophages. Immunostaining with CD68 confirmed the wnt-expressing cells as macrophages. These results show a major difference in wnt expression in colon cancer compared to colon adenomas and suggest stromal wnt expression may play a role in tumour progression.  (+info)

A comparison of virtual and conventional colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal polyps. (7/764)

BACKGROUND: Virtual colonoscopy is a new method of imaging the colon in which thin-section, helical computed tomography (CT) is used to generate high-resolution, two-dimensional axial images. Three-dimensional images of the colon simulating those obtained with conventional colonoscopy are then reconstructed off-line. We compared the performance of virtual and conventional colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal polyps. METHODS: We prospectively studied 100 patients at high risk for colorectal neoplasia (60 men and 40 women; mean age, 62 years). We performed virtual colonoscopy immediately before conventional colonoscopy. We inserted a rectal tube and insufflated the colon with air to the maximal level that the patient could tolerate. We administered 1 mg of glucagon intravenously immediately before CT scanning to minimize the degree of smooth-muscle spasm and peristalsis and to reduce the patient's discomfort. RESULTS: The entire colon was clearly seen by virtual colonoscopy in 87 patients and by conventional colonoscopy in 89. Fifty-one patients had normal findings on conventional colonoscopy. In the other 49, we identified a total of 115 polyps and 3 carcinomas. Virtual colonoscopy identified all 3 cancers, 20 of 22 polyps that were 10 mm or more in diameter (91 percent), 33 of 40 that were 6 to 9 mm (82 percent), and 29 of 53 that were 5 mm or smaller (55 percent). There were 19 false positive findings of polyps and no false positive findings of cancer. Of the 69 adenomatous polyps, 46 of the 51 that were 6 mm or more in diameter (90 percent) and 12 of the 18 that were 5 mm or smaller (67 percent) were correctly identified by virtual colonoscopy. Although discomfort was not specifically recorded, none of the patients requested that virtual colonoscopy be stopped because of discomfort or pain. CONCLUSIONS: In a group of patients at high risk for colorectal neoplasia, virtual and conventional colonoscopy had similar efficacy for the detection of polyps that were 6 mm or more in diameter.  (+info)

Patterns of proliferative changes in crypts bordering colonic tumors: zonal histology and cell cycle marker expression. (8/764)

Proliferative crypt changes have been noted in mucosa bordering colonic carcinomas, but their biological significance is disputed. We anticipated that zonal patterning of histological changes and cell cycle marker expression would provide clues to the pathogenesis of these border changes. 81 specimens were examined including carcinomas, adenomatours polyps, adenomas with early carcinoma, flat adenomas and aberrant crypt foci. The spatial distribution and frequency of micro-architectural features, and mucosal thickness were determined in a border domain of 150 300 sequential crypts/specimen. Immunocytochemical expression of Ki67 and p53 antigens in crypts also was semi-quantitatively examined. We found that in 100% of carcinomas two histologically abnormal zones (Proximate and Middle) separated tumor from normal mucosa. Differences in the feature frequency between zones were statistically significant (p<0.05). Both zones showed mild increases in crypt cell expression of Ki67, with a statistically significant relationship to zonal patterning (p<0.005). Weak expression of p53 only appeared in rare cells. Crypt elongation with mucosal thickening (1.9x normal, p<0.001) in the Proximate and Middle zones distinguished carcinomas from border changes in all benign lesions, except flat adenomas. Since this change occurs in all cases of carcinoma, there is no correlation with tumor stage or grade. Also in carcinomas, elaborate complexes of attached crypts (connected crypt structures) were characteristic of the Middle zone, so that proximate zone was always architecturally simpler. We conclude, that despite continuous carcinoma growth, the invaded border mucosa maintains a prototypical zonal organization of molecular and histological crypt changes This spatially organized reaction pattern is likely to reflect an interplay between regulated growth and destructive processes in response to advancing carcinoma. Compared to the edges of benign colonic tumors, the edges of carcinomas are distinctive and consistent enough to be diagnostically useful.  (+info)

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