Tissue isoantigens A, B and H in primary carcinoma of the pancreas

Rong Hua Li,Lin Zhang, Mei Yun Wu

Subject headings  pancreatic neoplasms; ABH antigens; immunohistochemistry

Li RH, Zhang L, Wu MY. Tissue isoantigens A, B and H in primary carcinoma of the pancreas.
China Nati J New Gastroenterol, 1996;2(4):241-242

Abstract

AIM   To investigate the quantity of demonstrable tissue isoantigens A, B and H in primary carcinoma of the pancreas and their relationships with the degree of anaplasia.

METHODS   The pathological classification of 26 primary carcinomas of the pancreas and the leface of their anaplasia which were formalin-fixed, were studied by light microscopy with HE. The quantity of isoantigens A, B and H in carcinomas of the pancreas and their adjacent normal pancreas tissue were studied with immunohistochemical ABC method.

RESULTS   Twenty-six primary carcinomas of the pancreas were classified as follows: Two acini cell carcinomas, 22 adenocarcinomas, 1 adenocanthoma and 1 undifferentiated carcinoma. One of 2 acini cell carcinomas, 6 of 22 adenocarinomas and 1 adenocanthoma were well differentiated; 1 of 2 acini carcinomas and 12 of 22 adenocarcinomas were moderately differentiated; 4 of 22 adenocarcinomas and 1 undifferentiated carcinoma were poorly differentiated. The results of the immunohistochemical method showed that the ABH positive cells were more frequent in acini cells and ductal epithelial cells in the adjacent normal pancreas than those in carcinoma of pancreas. In case of 22 adenocarcinomas, the ABH positive cells were more frequent in well differentiated and moderately differentiated cancer cells than in poorly differentiated cells. In eleven invasive adenocarcinomas positive cells (++,+++) were more frequent in primary foci than in metastatic foci. Twenty of 26 carcinoma of the pancreas belonged to A, B and AB blood groups. Most H isoantigens were converted to A or B or AB substances in 8 well differentiated, 7 moderately differentiated and 2 poorly differentiated carcinomas, while less transformation of H to A or B antigens was observed in 3 poorly differentiated carcinomas of the pancreas. Furthermore. It was observed that the secretion of isoantigens A, B, H was less in carcinomas of the pancreas than that in normal pancreas.

CONCLUSION   The loss of demonstrable isoantigens ABH paralleled morphological anaplasia. Furthermore, we found that the functions of transformation of Hsubstance into A and B substances as well as the secretion of ABH substances into the pancreatic duct were hampered.




INTRODUCTION
The isoantigens A, B and H are not only present on red blood cells of groups A, B, O and AB individuals, but also present in normal human tissues and body fluids^£Û1-3£Ý. Pancreas is one of the organs in which large quantities of these antigens are present in the epithelial cells of the exocrine glands and the pancreatic ducts. Szulman^£Û1£Ý was the first to study the histological distribution of ABH isoantigens in human tissues by immunofluresence techniques. Some anthors had investigated the effect of cancerous transformation on tissue isoantigens A, B and H^£Û4-8£Ý. This article is an extension of our previous studies on the distribution and cellular and subcellular localization of ABH isoantigens in normal human tissue cells by immunohistochemical and immunoelectro-microscopy^£Û3,9£Ý. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the quantities of ABH antigens present in normal pancreas and their anaplasia in cancerous transformation.ª¤ª¤

MATERIALS AND METHODSª¥
Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embeded tissue sections (5¦Ìm) were made from 26 cases of carcinoma of the pancreas. Five sections of each case were used for study. One section was stained with HE for determining the type of cancers and the degree of their anaplasia. Three sections were used for immunohistochemical study by using Avidinª²Biotin Complex/HRP (ABC) technique: After deparaffinization, rehydration, and treatment with H₂O₂ to block the intrinsic peroxidase activity and with bovine serum albumin, the sections were incubated with McAb£¾A, McAb£¾B and McAb£¾H (1¡Ã50 Dako) respectively for 60 minutes at room temperature. After washing with PBS-T, sections were incubated with rabbit anti-mouse Igs/Biotin (1¡Ã300, Dako) for 50 minutes. After washing, they were conjugated with ABC/HRP for 30 minutes. After washing, sections were treated with H₂O₂ª²DAB (3,3¡ä-dianimo-benzidine) for 3 minutes and were counterª²stained with hematoxylin, and mounted. The builtª²in positive controls were: (a)erythrocytes and endothelial cells in vessels; (b)the epithelial cells of the exocrine gland and the pancreatic duct adjacent to the carcinoma. The builtª²in negative controls were (a) the connective tissue; (b)Langerhans¡äs islands.ª¤ª¤

RESULTSª¤
ABO blood groups of 26 cases of carcinoma of the pancreasª¥The ABO blood groups of 26 cases of carcinoma of the pancreas were as follows: A-8, B-9, AB-3, O-6.ª¤ª¤

Types and degrees of anaplasia of carcinoma of the pancreas
The type of carcinoma and the degree of their anaplasia were shown in Table 1.ª¤ª¤

Table 1 Types and differentiation degree of 26 cases of primary carcinoma of the pancreas

Relation of ABH positive cells to the anaplasia of carcinoma of pancreasª¥
Eight of 26 cases of carcinoma of pancreas have adjacent normal pancreas in which 26 normal interlobular pancreatic ducts were found. ABH positive epithelial cells (+-+++) were demonstrated in 24 ducts. The positive epithelial cells were more frequent in them than those in adenocarcinoma, and were more frequent in well differentiated, moderately differentiated adeno-carcinoma than those in poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas (Table 2).ª¤

Table 2 The frequency of ABH positive cells in 26 normal pancreatic ducts and in ducts of 22 adenocarcinoma

Note: 4/4 indicates that the epithelial cells of whole circumferenc of duct were ABH positive, and others were analysized in this way.ª¤ª¤

Relation of ABH antigens present in primary foci to those in metastatic tumorsª¥
Twelve of 26 cases of carcinoma of the pancreas had the adjacent normal pancreas in which carcinoma invasion was found in 11 cases. It was found that the ABH positive staining was stronger in cells of primary foci (+-+++) than those in the invasive tumor (Table 3).ª¤ª¤

Table 3 Comparison of the staining intensity of ABH positive cells in primary foci and in the invasive carcinoma

Comparison of secretion of ABH isoantigens between normal pancreatic ducts and in ducts of adenocarcinomaª¥
In general, the ABH antigens were located in infraª²nuclear regions, supranuclear regions, brush borders, cytoplasm as well as in cellular secretions. Secretions of ABH antigens in 26 normal pancreatic ducts and in 26 ducts randomly selected from 5 cases of well differentiated and moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas each were compared. The adenocarcinoma cells secreted less ABH antigens in their secretions than those in the normal pancreatic ducts (Table 4).ª¤ª¤

Table 4 The localization of ABH antigens in 26 normal pancreatic cells and in 26 ducts of adenocarcinoma

DISCUSSIONª¥
Our results revealed that the quantity of ABH antigens in pancreas was related with the anaplasia of its cancerous transformation. It was less in carcinoma of pancreas and their ductal secretions than in normal pancreatic tissue and their secretions, less in undifferentiated adenocarcinoma than in moderately and well differentiated adenocarcinoma, less in invaded tumors than in primary foci. It is suggested that ABH antigens in pancreas are related to the cancerous transformation of pancreas. That is to say, in carcinoma of the pancreas partial loss of ABH antigens occurred. These results agree with Davidsohn¡äs research^£Û6,7£Ý. Furthermore, we found a phenomenon of hindering A or B antigens from H antigens in carcinoma of the pancreas.ª¤ª¤

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Department of Forensic Serology, West China University of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041 Sichuan Province, China.
Dr. Li  Rong Hua, Leeture, having 10 papers published, 2 of 10 were collected by BA and CA.ª¤
Correspondence to Dr. LI Rongª²Hua.ª¤
Received 8th August 1996.