Lectin glycosylation as a marker of thin gut inflammation

Abstract

Mucous maturation in human gastrointestinal system remains unexplored. It has been previously reported that changes in lectin receptors glycosylation might serve as histochemistry markers of thing gut inflammation. The aim of this study was to compare the binding pattern of biotinylated lectins in different subtypes of thin gut inflammation in the early childhood The study was performed on biopsy material of 120 patients with chronic thin gut inflammation and 30 healthy controls with different lectins: Peanut agglutinin (PNA), Soybean agglutinin (SBA), Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), Lens culinaris (LcL), Laburnum anagyroides (LAL). Presence of N‐ and O‐glycans in the composition of proteins of plasmatic membranes of a thin gut was shown. Sialic acids were absent in the composition of alkaline phosphatase of mature mucous production. The expression of lectin‐binding glycoconjugates exhibited differences between certain types of chronic thin gut inflammation. WGA with affinity for GlcNAc and neuraminic acid labelled the cells with early thin gut inflammation but most intensely those of fibroblastic type. Staining with PNA and SBA, which are GalNAc specific, were strongly positive. Enhanced PNA reactivity reflected mainly cytoarchitectural pattern. These results documented the heterogeneous glycosylation pattern in different subtypes of thin gut inflammation and indicate the usefulness of lectins in the early evaluation of pluripotential differentiation of thin gut secretory cells.[Sponsored by NIH grants from Russian Federation].