Iron-binding proteins in human colorectal adenomas and carcinomas: an immunocytochemical investigation

Abstract

By immunocytochemistry, the presence of major iron-binding proteins (lactoferrin, transferrin and ferritin) was investigated in tubular adenomas (12 cases), villous adenomas (7 cases), carcinomas of the large bowel and rectum (39 cases) and lymph nodes involved in carcinomas (8 cases); 5 samples of colonic inflarnrnatory pseudopolyps were aiso studied. Dysplastic areas of tubular and villous adenomas as well as adenocarcinomas and colloid carcinomas showed a variable cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for al1 antisera, although no staining was noted in some cases; tubular adenomas without dysplasia and colonic inflarnmatory pseudopolyps were always unstained. Metastatic elements present in lymph nodes maintained the irnmunohistochemicai staining for iron-binding proteins. An autoctone production of lactoferrin, transferrin and ferritin by tumour cells may be hypothesized in relation to the increased requirement of iron for the tumover of rapidly dividing cells.