Table 1.
Clinical details of patients and analysis of glycocalyx layer.
Fig 1.
Glycocalyx of healthy as well as neoplastic epithelium in human colon and ROC analysis of the absence of a glycocalyx as a marker for colorectal cancer.
(A) Transmission electron micrographs of enterocytes from healthy mucosa, adenocarcinoma and adenoma. The microvilli (MV) of healthy cells are covered by a thick glycocalyx (G), whereas the glycocalyx and microvilli are missing on neoplastic cells of adenocarcinomas and adenomatous polyps. Scale bar = 1 μm. (B) ROC curves for the absence of a glycocalyx as a marker in adenocarcinomas and adenomas. To judge the discriminatory power of this marker the AUC was calculated.
Fig 2.
Detection of non-differentiated, glycocalyx-free enterocytes by particulate contrast agents.
Exposure of the apical surface of variably differentiated areas of the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2BBe2 with CTB-coated (A-C) or LTB-coated (D-F) microparticles. (A, D) Phase contrast. (B, E) Visualization of the carbohydrate coat on partially differentiated cells with the fluorescein-labeled (green) lectin ECA (B) or UEA I (E). (C, F) Binding of CTB- (C) or LTB- (F) coated microparticles (red) to the membrane receptor ganglioside GM1 in glycocalyx-free areas of non-differentiated cells. Scale bar = 50 μm (A-C) respectively 200 μm (D-F). (G) Schematic illustration of the aspired in vivo detection of mucosal neoplasia. To detect CRC a particulate contrast agent (red) coated with a ligand for a cell membrane receptor (blue) can be used. In the intestine, the particles should bind selectively to the membrane receptors of anomalously differentiated cells that lack a glycocalyx (green). The particle-stained neoplasia can be visualized by appropriate imaging modalities.