Forty-two
meningiomas of different morphological sub-type were examined to determine their pattern of binding to 11 different
lectins which characterize cell surface components such as
carbohydrate residues. Histiocytic and
xanthoma cells within
meningiomas could be demonstrated with six different
lectins: wheat germ agglutinin (WGA),
peanut agglutinin (PNA)
Bauhinia purpurea agglutinin (BPA),
Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA), Vicia fava
agglutinin (VFA) and Soyabean
agglutinin (SBA). Vascular elements including endothelial cells and intimal cells, bound Ulex europaeus
agglutinin type 1 (UEA 1), WGA and HPA. The fibrous stroma in fibrous and fibroblastic
meningiomas bound PNA, Laburnum alpinum
agglutinin (LAA) and SBA. Tumour cells in
meningotheliomatous meningiomas and some areas of anaplastic
meningiomas bound
Concanavalin A, PNA, LAA and VFA whereas tumour cells in fibrous and fibroblastic
meningiomas bound BPA, LAA and VFA.
Lectin binding has proved to be of value in detecting histiocytic and
xanthoma cells together with vascular elements within
meningiomas. In addition, the different
lectin binding patterns allow different histological sub-types of
meningioma to be distinguished although the
biological significance of the binding patterns is unclear.