Differential glycosylation, marked by the presence of truncated O-glycans, is a distinctive feature of epithelial-derived cancers. However, there is a notable gap in research regarding the expression of Tn and STn antigens in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). To address this, we employed commercially available antibodies, previously validated for Tn and STn antigens, to analyze two cohorts of EAC tissues. Initially, large-area tissue sections from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) EAC and corresponding healthy tissues were subjected to immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining and scoring. Subsequently, we evaluated the RNA expression levels of crucial O-glycosylation related genes—C1GALT1andC1GALT1C1—using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In a comprehensive analysis, a substantial cohort of EAC tissues (n= 311 for Tn antigen,n= 351 for STn antigen) was investigated and correlated with clinicopathological data. Our findings revealed that Tn and STn antigens are highly expressed (approximately 71% for both) in EAC, with this expression being tumor-specific. Notably, Tn antigen expression correlates significantly with the depth of tumor cell infiltration (p= 0.026). These antigens emerge as valuable markers and potential therapeutic targets for esophageal adenocarcinoma.
差异性糖基化，以截短型O-聚糖的存在为标志，是上皮源性癌症的显著特征。然而，关于食管腺癌中Tn和STn抗原表达的研究仍存在明显空白。为此，我们采用经过Tn和STn抗原验证的商业化抗体，对两组食管腺癌组织进行了分析。首先，对福尔马林固定石蜡包埋的食管腺癌组织及对应健康组织的大面积切片进行免疫组化染色与评分。随后，通过实时定量聚合酶链反应技术，评估了关键O-糖基化相关基因C1GALT1和C1GALT1C1的RNA表达水平。在综合分析中，我们对大规模食管腺癌组织样本（Tn抗原n=311例，STn抗原n=351例）进行了研究，并将其与临床病理数据相关联。研究结果显示，Tn和STn抗原在食管腺癌中高表达（两者均约71%），且这种表达具有肿瘤特异性。值得注意的是，Tn抗原表达与肿瘤细胞浸润深度显著相关（p=0.026）。这些抗原可作为食管腺癌的重要生物标志物和潜在治疗靶点。
A Comprehensive Analysis of Tn and STn Antigen Expression in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家