Publication

Abstract : A lectin belonging to the general group of mannose/glucose binding was isolated from the seeds of Canavalia virosa using sephadex G-50 as its specific adsorbant. In order to establish a useful marker of malignancy of oral tissue, the binding sites of this Canavalia virosa lectin (CVL), peanut agglutinin (PNA), Soybean agglutinin (SBA) and Bandeiraea simplicifolia agglutinin-1 (BSA-1) were comparatively examined in surgical specimens from the benign and malignant lesions of oral cavity by lectin histochemistry method. The carcinomatous cells showed much more variable lectin binding towards CVL than normal controls which generally had uniform binding. But loss of receptor for PNA, ABA and BSA-1 was observed in poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma: the combination of these lectins may be regarded as a useful marker for the objective evaluation of dysplastic grading and to the early detection of histologic evidence of oral epithelial malignancy.