Aims: Endocervical and endometrial tissues were stained with four lectins to determine the difference in staining pattern between non-neoplastic and neoplastic conditions of these tissues.
Methods and results: The lectins used were Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA), Dolicho biflorus agglutinin (DBA). Concanavalin A (Con A), and Phaseolus vulgaris agglutinin (PHA). Endocervical tissues included normal endocervical glands, microglandular hyperplasia, minimal deviation adenocarcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma, well to poorly differentiated types. Endometrial tissues were collected from normal endometrium, simple glandular hyperplasia, complex hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma grades 1-3. Non-neoplastic and neoplastic endocervical and endometrial glandular epithelium showed positive reaction for UEA, Con A and PHA. Non-neoplastic glands showed mild to moderate intensity and apical and/polar type of staining pattern for all lectins. Endocervical adenocarcinoma including minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (MDC) and adenocarcinoma well to moderately differentiated type showed diffuse cytoplasmic type of staining pattern for all lectins, but poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of endocervix showed only a stromal pattern for all lectins. Endometrial hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma grades 1-3 showed positive reaction for all lectins except for DBA. The staining pattern of endometrial hyperplasia was variable, but adenocarcinoma grades 1-3 showed diffuse type.
Conclusion: Intensity and staining patterns of lectins are helpful in distinguishing between endocervical and endometrial non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions. Intense positive reaction of MDC, especially for Con A and PHA, can differentiate this lesion from normal endocervical glands. The stromal type of staining pattern of poorly differentiated endocervical adenocarcinoma can also have diagnostic significance. Negative reactions of DBA lectin for endometrial adenocarcinoma can be used for differentiating it from endocervical adenocarcinoma.