Histogenesis of metastatic tumours: lectin reactive substances and intermediate filament proteins

The reactivity of 38 anaplastic tumours for cytokeratin, vimentin, desmin, milk fat globule membrane antigen. Ia antigen as well as peanut agglutinin and Ulex europaeus I lectins were investigated immunohistologically in paraffin embedded tissue samples. By this typing of tumours establishment of the histogenesis of 34 out of 38 neoplasms was possible. Among the epithelial markers milk fat globule membrane antigen proved to be superior to cytokeratin. Vacuolar or intraluminal binding of peanut lectin was found to be more sensitive than PAS reaction for detecting early secretory activity. Our study substantiates the previous data that binding of Ulex europaeus I lectin is indicative of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In this study we also provide evidence for vimentinization in solid metastases as well as for shift in the cytokeratin profile upon malignant transformation.