Binding capacities of two immunomodulatory lectins, carrier-immobilized glycoligands and steroid hormones in lung cancer and the concentration of nitrite/nitrate in pleural effusions.

Abstract

Combined analysis of the binding properties of inflammatory and tumor cells in pleural effusion, and tumor imprints for various carrier-immobilized types of ligands and lectins, and of a biochemical feature of the effusions is performed to extend the characterization of these cells and their activity. In detail, the binding of Viscum album agglutinin (VAA), Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA), and of carrier-immobilized N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc), lysoganglioside GM1, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and hydrocortisone to native specimens consisting of 46 tumor imprints from surgically treated patients with lung cancer and 74 smears of pleural effusion (PE) cells from cancer or non-cancer patients was studied using fluorescence microscopy with Texas red-labeled streptavidin. Among the tested ligands, VAA was found to provide the most effective staining of cells (60-78.1% of positive cases). When compared with inflammatory cells from PE, cancer cells were seen to bind more frequently only two ligands, namely UDA and estradiol. Significant (P < 0.001) difference between patients with bronchial carcinoma and non-cancer patients were found, when the content of NO2-/NO3- in PE fluids was measured. Whereas the level of NO2-/NO3- in PE of non-cancer patients was 12.6 +/- 10.7 microM (n = 12), it was 37.7 +/- 19.4 microM (n = 14) in cancer patients without pleural metastases and 37.5 +/- 16.0 microM (n = 26) in patients with pleural metastases. The level of NO2-/NO3- in PE appeared to correlate with extent of staining with GM1 and GlcNAc: in non-cancer patient groups it was significantly higher (P = 0.032) for negative subjects than those binding the ligand GlcNAc, whereas in the patient group with adenocarcinoma it was significantly lower (P = 0.032) for patients without binding capacities for GlcNAc and GM1. The results obtained suggest that the combined analysis of increased levels of NO2-/NO3- in PE and of glycohistochemical properties of cancer and inflammatory cells may be useful in exploring the interrelationship of functionally important cellular characteristics.