Lectin-binding patterns of breast carcinoma: significance on structural atypism.

We have investigated lectin-binding profiles of the human breast epithelia and the structural atypism in intraductal carcinoma. The lectino-histochemical probes using biotin-labeled peanut agglutinin (PNA), soybean agglutinin (SBA) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) with avidin-biotin peroxidase complex were performed on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens from 24 patients. While normal and benign hyperplastic epithelia were stained almost in luminal borders and apical cytoplasmic surfaces, intraductal carcinoma additionally showed conspicuous staining of intracytoplasmic lumina and supranuclear cytoplasmic margins. The lectin-binding pattern found in papillary hyperplasia was completely different from that in intraductal carcinoma; the former was an irregular network structure along luminal borders, whereas the latter was not only a cribriform but also a rosette structure along intracytoplasmic lumina and supranuclear cytoplasms. Such lectin-binding patterns seemed to reflect the change of cell polarity in malignant transformation. The significance of these observations in elucidation of structural atypism was discussed in relation to 3-D structure of intraductal carcinoma.