Quantitative lectin-histochemical and immunohistochemical studies on the occurrence of alpha(2,3)- and alpha(2,6)-linked sialic acid residues in colorectal carcinomas. Relation to clinicopathologic features.

Background: Enhanced sialylation has been considered important for the metastatic growth of colorectal carcinomas. Using sequence- and sialic acid-specific lectins and a monoclonal antibody, the tumor-associated expression of alpha(2,3)- and alpha(2,6)-sialylated oligosaccharides was investigated. The study was designed to examine whether a random increase of sialylation or the expression of oligosaccharides carrying distinct sialic acid residues affect the biology of colorectal carcinomas.