Distribution of the carbohydrate antigens, DU-PAN-2 and CA19-9, in tumors of the lung

Our plain-English summary of Distribution of the carbohydrate antigens, DU-PAN-2 and CA19-9, in tumors of the lung, by G. Ohshio, K. Yamaki, T. Imamura, et al (Tumori, 1995).

The study

• Authors: G. Ohshio, K. Yamaki, T. Imamura, H. Suwa, C.Y. Chang, H. Wada, Y. Sueno, M. Imamura
• Journal: Tumori
• Published: 1995;81(1):67-73
• Cited by: 22 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Aims And Background: The carbohydrate chains of malignant cells appear to be related to oncofetal differentiation. The serum levels of CA19-9 have been reported to be evaluated in some patients with lung carcinomas, however, the distribution of carbohydrate antigens were not precisely described. We have investigated in this study the distribution of DU-PAN-2 and CA19-9 antigens in lung tumors.

Methods: Ninety five specimens of lung tumors were selected from surgical specimens. The expression of DU-PAN-2 and CA19-9 were studied by immunohystochemical techniques. The relationship between the expression of these antigens and the classification or the differentiation degree of the tumors were examined.

Results: DU-PAN-2 or CA19-9 antigens were detected in 41 (54%) and 45 (59%) cases of the 76 malignant epithelial tumors investigated. These antigens were detected in all types of malignant epithelial tumors, including squamous cell carcinomas, where they were mainly localized to the entire cell surface of malignant cells. In adenocarcinomas, large cell carcinomas and small cell carcinomas, however, these antigens were commonly detected both on the cell membrane and in the cytoplasm. There was positive correlation between the degree of differentiation and DU-PAN-2, but not CA19-9 expression. Among the non-epithelial tumors investigated, those antigens were detected in pulmonary blastomas but not in mesotheliomas.

Conclusions: Immunohistochemical studies for DU-PAN-2 and CA19-9 are useful for defining characteristics of the lung tumors. DU-PAN-2 could be a marker for differentiating between malignant epithelial tumors and mesotheliomas.

In plain English

This Kyoto University laboratory study used antibody staining (immunohistochemistry) to look for two carbohydrate markers, DU-PAN-2 and CA19-9, in 95 surgically removed lung tumor samples. The article does not discuss asbestos or any other exposure. Of the 76 malignant epithelial tumors (carcinomas), 41 (54%) stained for DU-PAN-2 and 45 (59%) for CA19-9, usually in only a small number of tumor cells. Diffuse staining, defined as more than 20% of malignant cells stained, occurred in 10 (13%) of the 76 for DU-PAN-2 and 7 (9%) for CA19-9. Both markers appeared in every carcinoma type studied, including squamous cell carcinomas (69% and 62%). In adenocarcinomas, DU-PAN-2 was found more often in well-differentiated tumors (9 of 16) than in moderately or poorly differentiated ones (3 of 16). The authors reported this difference as statistically significant. Neither marker was found in any of the 5 mesotheliomas. The authors concluded that DU-PAN-2 could be a useful marker for telling malignant epithelial tumors apart from mesotheliomas. They noted that they did not investigate whether CA19-9 expression related to metastasis or progression.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Laboratory immunohistochemical study of stored (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded) surgical lung tumor specimens
• Who was studied: 95 lung tumor samples from surgical specimens (Kyoto University, Japan; dates not given): 13 squamous cell carcinomas, 32 adenocarcinomas, 21 large cell carcinomas, 6 small cell carcinomas, 4 bronchial gland carcinomas, one squamous cell papilloma, 5 mesotheliomas, 2 pulmonary blastomas, 6 hamartomas and 5 sclerosing hemangiomas
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure was studied. The study examined tumor tissue staining with mouse monoclonal antibodies against the carbohydrate antigens CA19-9 and DU-PAN-2.
• Main results:
  • Of 76 malignant epithelial tumors, 41 (54%) were positive for DU-PAN-2 and 45 (59%) for CA19-9
  • Diffuse staining (more than 20% of malignant cells) for DU-PAN-2 was seen in 10 (13%) of the 76 malignant epithelial tumors, and diffuse CA19-9 staining in 7 (9%)
  • Squamous cell carcinomas were positive for DU-PAN-2 in 69% and for CA19-9 in 62% of cases, with staining only on the cell surface
  • In adenocarcinomas, positive staining was 38% for DU-PAN-2 and 53% for CA19-9. The difference in positive staining between large cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas was not significant.
  • In the 32 adenocarcinomas, DU-PAN-2 was positive in 9 of 16 well-differentiated and 3 of 16 moderately or poorly differentiated tumors (chi-square 4.8, p less than 0.05). CA19-9 was positive in 10 of 16 and 7 of 16, respectively, and a significant correlation was reported only for DU-PAN-2.
  • DU-PAN-2 and CA19-9 expression were positively correlated in malignant lung tumors (p less than 0.001), but 22 (29%) of the 76 cases were positive for only one antibody
  • Neither antigen was detected in any of the 5 mesotheliomas. The antigens were detected in pulmonary blastomas (2 cases).
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that DU-PAN-2 is often detectable in malignant epithelial tumors but not in mesotheliomas, and suggested it could be a useful marker for differentiating the two. They also considered the absence of CA19-9 in mesotheliomas compatible with earlier findings by others.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors did not investigate whether CA19-9 expression was related to metastasis or progression of the carcinoma

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Lung cancer.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Adenocarcinoma, Mesothelioma.

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