ABH and Lewis antigen distributions in blood, saliva and gastric mucosa and H pylori infection in gastric ulcer patients.

AIM: To investigate the ABH and Lewis antigen expression in erythrocytes, saliva and gastric epithelium, as well as the association between H pylori and the presence of gastric epithelial lesions. METHODS: The distribution of ABH and Lewis blood group antigens in erythrocytes, saliva and gastric mucosa of H pylori-infected gastric ulcer patients was analyzed. Forty-two patients with gastric ulcer were studied, and fifty healthy individuals were used as control group. The blood group antigens were determined by direct hemagglutination, dot-ELISA and immunohistochemical methods in erythrocytes, saliva and gastric mucosa specimens, respectively. Diagnosis for H pylori infection was performed by conventional optical microscopy and ELISA. RESULTS: A higher seroprevalence of IgG H pylori specific antibodies was observed in gastric ulcer patients (90%) compared to the control group (60%). We observed a significant increase of phenotypes O, A2 and Lewis b in H pylori-infected patients. The expression of these antigens had progressive alterations in areas of ulcerous lesions and intestinal metaplasia. CONCLUSION: ABH and Lewis blood group antigens are a good indicator for cellular alterations in the gastric epithelium.

The expression of ABH and Lewis antigens in Brazilian semi-isolated Black communities

The expression of the ABH and Lewis blood groups was determined in blood and saliva samples from two semi-isolated Black communities of Northern Brazil: Cametá and Alcântara. The distributions of ABO blood group phenotypes and the ABH secretor status frequencies showed no significant differences between these populations. In contrast, there was a difference regarding the frequency of the red blood cell Le(a-b-) phenotypes, associated with erythrocyte/saliva discordance, as confirmed by the observation that individuals with Le(a-b-) red cells have the Lewis antigen in their saliva, resulting in a nongenuine Le(a-b-) phenotype, whose frequency was higher in Alcântara

ABO, Lewis, secretor and non-secretor phenotypes in patients infected or uninfected by the Helicobacter pylori bacillus.

CONTEXT: Epidemiological studies have demonstrated higher frequencies of the O blood group and the non-secretor phenotype of ABH antigens among patients suffering from peptic ulcers. Since Helicobacter pylori has been established as the main etiological factor in this disease, controversies about the associations of the ABO and Lewis blood group phenotypes and secretor and non-secretor phenotypes in relation to susceptibility towards infection by this bacillus have been presented. OBJECTIVE: To verify the frequencies of ABO, Lewis blood group phenotypes, secretor and non-secretor phenotypes in patients infected or uninfected by H. pylori. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Outpatient clinic. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and twenty patients with dyspeptic symptoms who underwent endoscopy. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: ABO and Lewis blood group phenotypes were determined by a standard hemagglutination test and the secretor and non-secretor phenotypes were evaluated by saliva samples using the inhibitor hemagglutination test. RESULTS: The diagnosis of infection, made via breath and urea tests and confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in gastric biopsy fragments, showed the presence of H. pylori in 61.7% of the patients and absence in 38.3%. The differences between the frequencies of the ABO blood group phenotypes among infected (A 27.0%; B 12.2%; AB 4.0% and O 56.8%) and uninfected patients (A 58.7%; B 13.0%; AB 4.3% and O 24.0%) were significant. The Lewis blood type, secretor and non-secretor phenotypes showed homogeneous distribution between the groups of patients analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the infection of H. pylori can be related to ABO blood groups but not to the Lewis blood group nor to secretor and non-secretor phenotypes.

Detection and isolation of MUC1 mucin from larynx squamous cell carcinoma.

UNLABELLED: The progression from uncontrolled cell proliferation to invasion and metastasis of epithelial tumors is partially understood. Alteration of epithelial mucin expression have been described in different malignant localizations but only few attempts have been made to identify mucin expression in malignant laryngeal tumors. In the present report, results are shown of studies on the expression of mucins and carbohydrate related antigens in laryngeal cancer and on the isolation of MUC1 mucin from this tumor tissue. Malignant laryngeal specimens were processed for immunohistochemical analysis and for extranuclear membrane fractions (ENM) which were obtained by ultracentrifugation. Subsequently, ENM samples were centrifuged in density-gradient; the analysis of fractions was performed by means of SDS-PAGE and Western-blotting. The panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) included anti MUC1 mucin, anti Lewis x, anti sialyl Lewis x, anti Lewis y, anti MUC-5B, anti oral mucin (gp230), anti Tn hapten, anti p53 and anti cytokeratins. By immunohistochemistry, it was possible to detect MUC1 mucin, Lewis x and Lewis y showing strong reactions while sialyl-Lewis x and Tn antigen only reacted weakly in a few cells; cytokeratins were detected in all samples. In ENM derived fractions obtained by CsCl centrifugation, MUC1 was demonstrated by Western blotting. CONCLUSIONS: (1) laryngeal cancer antigenic expression comprises mostly MUC1 mucin, Lewis x, Lewis y as well as Tn antigen and (2) the methodology here employed is useful to isolate MUC1 from tumor samples.

ABH and Lewis bllod group system: a study on two Amazonian Indian tribes

Phenotype frequencies of the ABH and systems were obtained for 110 individuals belonging to the Arara and Wai-Wai (Katuena tribes) of northern Brazil, who speak languages of the Cariban Stock. only ABH secretor phenotypes were observed, and all of them were of the "O" blood group. The Lewis-positive phenotype was found among the Arara and is also the most frequent among the Wai-Wai indians. Le(a-b-) subjects occurred only among the Wai-Wai, suggesting more variation within this group than among the Arara.

Immunohistopathological characterizatin of spontaneous metastases in a human lung mucoepidermoid adenocarcinoma (HLMC) xenograft.

The most common clinical form of lung cancer is a disseminated disease with distant metastases; several years of cancer progression precede presentation, and this ultimately limits the efficacy of curative therapy. In this immunohistochemical study, we examined a mucinous adenocarcinoma cell line, maintained by xenogeneic transplantation, and a spontaneous metastatic variant which produces distant tumors (in liver, spleen and kidney). The aim was to investigate possible parameters which characterize the metastatic process. Histopathological comparison between the two subcutaneous transplanted tumor lines showed that both lines presented a similar cellular morphology, a different pattern of cellular growth and an increased vascularization in the metastatic line with respect to its parent. All the tumor sections expressed differential immune reactivity with monoclonal antibodies against Lewis y (MAb C14), sialyl-Lewis x (MAb SNH3) and Lewis x (MAb FH2) determinants. Neither expressed MUC 1 mucins detectable with monoclonal antibodies reactive with the mucin protein core (MAbs C595 and SM3) nor was carcinoembryonic antigen (MAb C365) expressed. Neoplastic cells were reactive with an anti-pan cytokeratin monoclonal antibody confirming their epithelial histogenesis. Our findings have been evaluated with respect to defining metastatic phenotypes in lung cancer by examination of distinct histopathological and immunological parameters.

Lewis, secretor, and ABO phenotypes, and sulfomucin expression in gastric intestinal metaplasia.

The closely interrelated Lewis, secretor, and ABO phenotypes have long been linked to the risk of peptic ulcers and gastric cancer and may modulate the interaction between Helicobacter pylori and the gastric surface epithelium. We explored the association between the expression of sulfomucins in gastric intestinal metaplasia, a known marker of preneoplastic progression, and the expression of Lewis, secretor, and ABO phenotypes, in 523 subjects from Nariño, Colombia, and 856 subjects from northern Spain. In both study populations, Lewis (a+/b-) and nonsecretor phenotypes showed a significant positive association with the expression of sulfomucins (odds ratios, 2.4 and 2.6, respectively).

Expression of tumour associated antigens in normal, benign and malignant human mammary epithelial tissue: a comparative immunohistochemical study.

Breast carcinoma cells may express a variety of clinically relevant epitopes, some of which are associated with aberrant glycosylation of MUC1 mucin molecules, as well as determinants which are commonly expressed on their normal molecular counterparts. The present investigation is primarily an immunochemical analysis of MUC1 epitopes and other tumour associated antigenic determinants, as defined by their reaction with monoclonal antibodies and expressed in normal, benign and malignant epithelia. It was determined that malignant tissues of the breast expressed MUC1 mucin, as well as the Le(y) hapten and CEA, at different intensities, cellular distribution and patterns and percentages of positively stained cells. Conversely, benign tissues expressed a low intensity of MUC1 which was restricted to apical cell surface membranes and lumen debris; a similar pattern was found in some normal breast sections. It was concluded that MUC1 mucin exhibits heterogeneous antigenicity (as defined by its reactivity with a panel of related anti-MUC1 monoclonal antibodies) which is predominantly related to the progression of malignant disease. Le(y) is a marker of breast neoplasia, while CEA was found on only a small proportion of tumours. These immunohistochemical findings are considered in the context of improving breast cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Asociación de marcadores eritrocitarios (ABO, MNSs, Rh, Lewis, P1) con recurrencias y anomalías anatómicas y funcionales en niños con infección del tracto urinario / Association of erythrocyt markers (ABO, MNSs, Rh, Lewis, P1) with recurrences and anatomical-functional abnormalities in children with urinary tract infection

Para contribuir a la identificación de niños con infección del tracto urinario con mayor riesgo de ubicación alta o baja, recurrencias y alteraciones radiológicas o ultrasonográficas (complicaciones) se estudiaron las asociaciones entre éstas y la distribución de marcadores eritrocitarios (ABO, MNSs, Rh, Lewis, P1) en 309 casos de infección urinaria. No se encontró asociación entre algún polimorfismo eritrocitario en particular con las mencionadas categorías, pero si entre el fenotipo P1 y la etiología Escherichia coli (OR=3,07; IC 95 porciento=1,13 a 8,6; p<0,02) y la ausencia de etiología no E. coli con el fenotipo B+(0/26) sin llegar a niveles de significación. Estos hallazgos sugieren que en niños con infección urinaria, estos fenotipos, por separado, probablemente tienen acciones independientes y aditivas