Glycoprofiling of Cartilage Matrix-Forming Tumours

ABSTRACT Lectin staining of benign and malignant cartilage proliferations indicates restricted glycoprofiles and significant differences. In general terms benign lesions show less cellular binding and more matrical binding than malignant lesions. This suggests that in the benign category cells are less metabolically active and the matrix more structurally stable. Chondrosarcoma cells stain with the lectin lPHA indicating increased β1-6 branching linkages in complex N-linked glycans which is also a known feature of carcinoma cells. Increased angiogenesis and increased mast cell numbers are present in the connective tissue septa separating lobules of chondrosarcoma. The blood vessels stain with the lectins PTL-II and lPHA. Mast cells stain with lPHA. β 1-6 linkage is initiated by the Golgi-bound glycosyltransferase GnTase V. Increased β1-6 linkages are believed to enhance the metastatic potential of a malignant cell by angiogenesis. LPHA ligand is present not only in chondrosarcoma cells but also in endothelial cells and mast cells of the septa. The ligand for the lectin PTL-II is a core 1 O-linked glycans produced under the auspices of the galactosyltransferase T synthase. Production of this glycans by endothelial cells is believed to be obligatory for the formation of these cells into tubes as part of the construction of functioning blood vessels. There are, therefore, two candidate genes in chondrosarcoma worthy of further study viz those for GnTase V and T synthase. Targeted disruption of the activities of these genes has therapeutic possibilities.