Lectin binding to serous ovarian tumours

Sections of normal ovarian surface epithelium, benign serous cystadenomas, borderline serous cystadenomas and serous cyst-adenocarcinomas were stained with a pattern of lectins (Con A, WGA, SBA, DBA, UEA I, PNA and RCA I) to determine the different glycoproteins and their cellular changes. The epithelial cells stained with Con A, WGA, UEA I and RCA, although the intensity of the staining was generally higher in the malignant tumours. PNA stained only the malignant cells of the cystadenocarcinoma and DBA only the benign epithelial cells. These findings show that ovarian epithelial cells contain different glycoconjugates and that malignant transformation is accompanied by changes in the composition of these glycoconjugates.