RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GLYCOPROTEIN ANTIGENS APPEARING IN COLONIC ADENOMA AND COLONIC ADENOCARCINOMA AND THOSE IN HUMAN FETAL COLONIC MUCOSA

Abstract

The occurrence of glycoprotein antigens (M₁, M₂ and M₃) was investigated in tissues of colonic adenoma and colonic adenocarcinoma by immunoperoxidase methods as compared with that in human fetal colonic mucosa.
M₃ was detected in all cases with colonic adenoma, and in 30% of them, M₁ was also detected. In approximately 60% of cases with colonic adenocarcinoma, M₃ was detected and, in addition, M₁ was simultaneously detected in 22% of the M₃-positive cases. However, none of antigens were detected in the remaining cases. In the mucosa adjacent to colonic adenocarcinoma, M₁ which was never detected in normal colonic mucosa was observed. Both M₃ and M₁ were simultaneously detected in the colonic mucosa in a middle stage of fetal gestation. In a late stage followed by differentiation and maturation of the colonic mucosa, M₃ became the main antigen, since M₁ gradually disappeared.
From these results, these glycoprotein antigens seem to be of a significance as differentiated antigens in human gastrointestinal mucosa.