[Variations of the amount of sialic acids on hepatocellular carcinoma cell membrane].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the change in the amount of sialic acids on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell membrane.

METHODS

Surgical specimens of HCC and liver cirrhosis tissues were obtained from 28 patients to prepare carcinoma cell and hepatocyte suspensions by collagenase digestion. For assay of α2, 3 and α2, 6-sialic acids, the cells were suspended in the staining buffer containing either fluorescein isothiocyanate-Maackia amurensis lectin (FITC-MAL) or fluorescein isothiocyanate-Sambucus nigra bark lectin (FITC-SNA) and incubated for 1 h, respectively. Flow cytometric analysis was carried out to measure the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) on the cell surface.

RESULTS

In both FITC-MAL- and FITC-SNA-incubated HCC cells, the MFI on the cell surface was greater than that of the hepatocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

Both of α2, 3 and α2, 6- sialic acids increases significantly on the hepatocyte membrane after the carcinomatous change.