Characterization of Neu5Gc expression on human carcinomas and its effect on the local environment
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- Restricted to UC San Diego use only
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- Creation Date
- 2011
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- Abstract
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The absence of the common mammalian sialic acid N- glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) on cell surfaces in Homo sapiens has been well studied, and research is now focused on medical implications of this loss. Despite an inactivating mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme that forms Neu5Gc from its precursor, Neu5Gc has been reported on some human tumors, fetal tissues, and vascular endothelium. Antibodies specific for Neu5Gc containing epitopes have also been detected in human serum, and antibody-antigen complexes have been identified on tumor and endothelial cell surfaces. These antigen-antibody interactions have been shown to generate a chronic inflammatory environment, via complement deposition and macrophage recruitment. Inflammation is thought to contribute to tumor progression and carcinogenesis, and Neu5Gc antigen-antibody interactions may facilitate this process. The incidence and density of Neu5Gc on different naturally occurring human malignancies has not been well explored. In this study of 88 different human malignancies, although blood vessel endothelium showed expected expression of Neu5Gc in all the tissues examined, only 40 malignancies showed positive expression of Neu5Gc, with prostate (65%) and breast (58%) carcinomas having the highest rates of expression. Only 9 of the 88 malignancies studied were samples from metastases, and in the 3 (of these nine cases) which expressed Neu5Gc, there appeared to be no correlation between expression of Neu5Gc on malignant cells with the density of infiltrating macrophages in the surrounding area. Future studies with larger sample sizes, tumor classification, clinical outcomes data would be helpful to further elucidate the role of Neu5Gc as a bio-marker and in cancer progression
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1 online resource ([18] p.)
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- General Note
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Forms part of the UCSD School of Medicine independent study projects, Class of 2011
Includes bibliographical references (p. [16]-[18])
- Rights Holder
- Felix Karp
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Under copyright (US)
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Academic Liaison Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0175 (http://ucsd.libguides.com/c.php?g=91092&p=584168)
- Last Modified
2020-10-22