Summary
The vascularization of 50 tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) including 17 meningeomas, 25 neuroectodermal tumors, i.e., astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, mixed gliomas, glioblastomas, medulloblastomas, seven metastatic carcinomas, and one malignant hemangioendothelioma were investigated using biotinylated Ulex europaeus type I lectin (UEA I) in an indirect avidinbiotin-peroxidase procedure. The cytochemical staining pattern of UEA I on paraffin sections was compared with that of biotinylated Dolichos biflorus lectin (DBA), and with the immunocytochemical staining of factor VIII related antigen (F VIII/RAG) by polyclonal antisera using the PAP technique. UEA I visualized the endothelia of blood vessels with equal intensity, sensitivity, and reliability in normal brain and in tumor tissue with neovascularization. While large, medium, and small vessels were equally well demonstrated by UEA I and antibodies against FVIII/RAG, capillaries and endothelial sprouts were stained more consistently and intensely by UEA I. No reliable cytochemical staining could be obtained by DBA regardless of tissue or cell type investigated.
It is concluded that UEA I is a highly useful cytochemical marker for the identification of vascular endothelia in paraffin sections of human brain tumors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen HJ, Johnson EAZ, Matta KL (1977) A comparison of the binding specifities of lectins from Ulex europaeus and Lotus tetragonolubus. Immunol Commun 6:585–602
Alroy J, Gavris V, Heaney J, Szoka F, Ucci A (1982) Alterations in specific carbon hydrate residues in neoplastic transitional epithelium (i. e., urothelium) of human urinary bladder. Lab Invest 46:3 [Abstr]
Böhling T, Paetau A, Ekblom P, Haltia M (1983) Distribution of endothelial and basement membrane markers in angiogenic tumours of the nervous system. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 62:67–72
Burgdorf HL, Mukai K, Rosai J (1981) Immunohistochemical identification of factor VIII-related antigen in endothelial cells of cutaneous lesions of alleged vascular nature. Am J Clin Pathol 75:167–171
Debray H, Decout D, Strecker G, Spik G, Montreuil J (1981) Specifity of twelve lectins towards oligosaccharides and glycopeptides related to N-glycosylproteins. Eur J Biochem 117:41–55
Elias L, Van Epps D (1982) Fluoresceinated fucose binding lectins as melanomonocytic cell surface markers useful in characterization of human leukemia. Proc Am Soc Oncol 1 C-15
Fischer J, Klein PJ, Vierbuchen M, Skutta B, Uhlenbruck G, Fischer R (1984) Characterization of glycoconjugates of human gastrointestinal mucosa by lectins. I. Histochemical distribution of lectin binding sites in normal alimentary tract as well as in benign and malignant gastric neoplasms. J Histochem Cytochem 32:681–689
Franklin WA (1983) Tissue binding of lectins in disorders of the breast. Cancer 51:295–300
Holthöfer H, Virtanen I, Pettersson E, Törnroth T, Alfthan O, Lindner E, Miettinen A (1981) Lectins as fluorescence microscopic markers for saccharides in the human kidney. Lab Invest 45:391–399
Holthöfer H, Virtanen I, Kariniemi A-L, Hormia M, Lindner E, Miettinen A (1982) Ulex europaeus I lectin as a marker for vascular endothelium in human tissues. Lab Invest 47:60–66
Hormia M, Lehto V-P, Virtanen I (1983) Identification of UEA I-binding surface glycoproteins of cultured human endothelial cells. Cell Biol Int Rep 7:467–475
Hoyer LW, De Los Santos RP, Hoyer JR (1973) Antihemophilic factor antigen. Localization in endothelial cells by immunofluorescent microscopy. J Clin Invest 52:2737–2744
Hsu SM, Raine L, Fanger H (1981) Use of avidin-biotinperoxidase complex (ABC) in immunoperoxidase techniques: A comparison between ABC and unlabeled antibody (PAP) procedures. J Histochem Cytochem 29:577–580
Hsu SM, Ree HJ (1983) Histochemical studies on lectin binding in reactive lymphoid tissues. J Histochem Cytochem 31: 538–546
Jellinger K, Denk H (1974) Blood group isoantigens in angioblastic meningiomas and hemangioblastomas of the central nervous system. Virchows Arch [Pathol Anat] 364:137–144
Kuhlmann WD, Peschke P, Wurster K (1983) Lectin-peroxidase conjugates in histopathology of gastrointestinal mucosa. Virchows Arch [Pathol Anat] 398:319–328
Louis CJ, Sztynda T, Cheng ZM, Wyllie RG (1983) Lectin binding affinities of human breast tumors. Cancer 52: 1244–1250
Mauro A, Bertolotto A, Germano I, Giaccone G, Giodana MT, Migheli A, Schiffer D (1984) Collagenase in immunohistochemical demonstration of laminin, fibronectin and factor VIII/RAg in nervous tissue after fixation. Histochemistry 80:157–163
McComb RD, Jones TR, Pizzo SV, Bigner DD (1982a) Specifity and sensitivity of immunohistochemical detection of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor antigen in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. J Histochem Cytochem 30: 371–377
McComb RD, Jones TR, Pizzo SV, Bigner DD (1982a) Immunohistochemical detection of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor in hyperplastic endothelial cells in glioblastoma multiforma and mixed glioma-sarcoma. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 41:479–489
Miettinen M, Holthöfer H, Lethto V-P, Miettinen A, Virtanen I (1983) Ulex europaeus I lectin as a marker for tumors derived from endothelial cells. Am J Clin Pathol 79:32–36
Mukai K, Rosai J, Burgdorf WHC (1980) Localization of factor VIII-related antigen in vascular endothelial cells using an immunoperoxidase method. Am J Surg Pathol 4:273–276
Murata F, Tsuyama S, Suzuki S, Hamada H, Ozawa M, Muramatsu T (1983) Distribution of glycoconjugates in the kidney studied by use of labeled lectins. J Histochem Cytochem 31:139–144
Race G, Sanger LP (1975) Blood groups in man, 6th edn. Blackwell, Oxford
Pereira ME, Kisalus EC, Gruezo R, Kabat EA (1978) Immunohistochemical studies on the combining site of the blood group H-specific lectin l from Ulex europaeus seeds. Arch Biochem Biophys 185:108–115
Raedler A, Schmiegel WH, Raedler E, Arndt R, Thiele H-G (1983) Lectin-defined cell surface glycoconjugates of pancreatic cancer cells and their nonmalignant counterparts. Exp Cell Biol 51:19–28
Reano A, Faure M, Jacques Y, Reichert U, Schaefer H, Thivolet J (1982) Lectins as markers of human epidermal cell differentiations. Differentiation 22:205–210
Schwechheimer K, Weiss G, Schnabel P, Möller P (1984) Lectin target cells in human central nervous system and the pituitary gland. Histochemistry 80:165–169
Sehsted M, Hou-Jensen K (1981) Factor VIII related antigen as an endothelial cell marker in benign and malignant diseases. Virchows Arch [Pathol Anat] 391:247–255
Steele JG, Rupniak HT, Sandall J, Rowlatt C, Franks LM (1982) Differential distribution of lectin binding sites on the cell surface of cultured human carcinoma cell lines. Biol Cell 45:45
Sternberger LA (1979) Immunocytochemistry, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York
Taylor CR (1978) Immunoperoxidase techniques. Practical and theoretical aspects. Arch Pathol Lab Med 102:113–121
Walker RA (1984) The binding of peroxidase-labelled lectins to human breast epithelium I-normal, hyperplastic and lactating breast. J Pathol 142:278–291
Weber Th, Liebert UG, Wechsler W (1983) Immunocytochemical identification of factor VIII and Ulex europaeus type I lectin binding in endothelial cells in human vascular meningiomas. Acta Neurol Scand 68:198
Wirbel R, Möller P, Schwechheimer K (1984) Lectin-binding spectra in the hyperplastic human tonsil. Histochemistry 81:551–560
Yonezawa S, Nakamura T, Tanaka S, Sato E (1982) Glycoconjugate with Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I-binding sites in normal mucosa, adenoma, and carcinoma of the human large bowl. J Natl Can Inst 69:777–785
Yonezawa S, Nakamura T, Tanaka S, Maruta K, Nishi M, Sato E (1983) Binding of Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I in polyposis coli: comparative study with solitary adenoma in the sigmoid colon and rectum. J Natl Can Inst 71:19–24
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to o. Professor emeritus Dr. Dres. h. c. Hubert Meessen on the occasion of his 75th birthday
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Weber, T., Seitz, R.J., Liebert, U.G. et al. Affinity cytochemistry of vascular endothelia in brain tumors by biotinylated Ulex europaeus type I lectin (UEA I). Acta Neuropathol 67, 128–135 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00688133
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00688133