Concanavalin A binding and neuronal differentiation. A light microscopic study on neuronal tumours.

Concanavalin A (Con A) acceptors have been demonstrated in large differentiated neurons in a previous paper. In order to elucidate the correlation between Con A binding in normal and neoplastic neurons and lectin binding dependence upon the differentiation grade, 26 tumours of the neuronal series were examined using formalin fixed and paraffin embedded biopsy specimen. The neoplasms included 3 gangliocytomas, 7 gangliogliomas, 1 central neuroblastoma, 11 medulloblastomas, 2 retinoblastomas, and 2 sympathicoblastomas. Well differentiated neurons in gangliocytomas and gangliogliomas expressed a high intracytoplasmic Con A acceptor density comparable to the feature in large non-neoplastic neurons. Less differentiated neurons and neuroblasts showed a weak perinuclear fine granular binding or an absolute lack of binding molecules, respectively. Our results suggest that in a variety of tumours, Concanavalin A receptor density in neurons depends upon the degree of differentiation of the cell. Well differentiated cells have a higher density than poorly differentiated neoplastic neurons.