Prominent expression of sialyl Lewis X-capped core 2-branched O-glycans on high endothelial venule-like vessels in gastric MALT lymphoma.

High endothelial venule (HEV)-like vessels have been observed in gastric B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type (MALT lymphoma), as well as in its preceding lesion, chronic Helicobacter pylori gastritis. Previously we reported that glycans on HEV-like vessels in the latter lesion served as L-selectin ligands. However, the biochemical and functional nature of glycans on HEV-like vessels in gastric MALT lymphoma remained to be determined. In this study, we performed immunohistochemical analysis for sialyl Lewis X (sLeX)-related glycoepitopes using three monoclonal antibodies MECA-79, HECA-452, and NCC-ST-439, and found that MECA-79−/HECA-452+/NCC-ST-439+ HEV-like vessels preferentially appears in gastric MALT lymphoma compared to chronic H. pylori gastritis, suggesting that appearance of MECA-79−/HECA-452+/NCC-ST-439+ HEV-like vessels marks gastric MALT lymphoma. We then constructed a set of CHO cell lines expressing possible MECA-79−/HECA-452+/NCC-ST-439+ glycans, as well as other sLeX-type glycans, on CD34, and evaluated L-selectin binding to those cells using L-selectin•IgM chimera binding and lymphocyte adhesion assays. L-selectin•IgM chimeras bound to CHO cells expressing 6-sulfo sLeX attached to core 2-branched O-glycans with or without 6-sulfo sLeX attached to extended core 1 O-glycans but only marginally to other CHO cell lines. On the other hand, CHO cells expressing 6-sulfo sLeX attached to extended core 1 and/or core 2-branched O-glycans, and also non-sulfated sLeX attached to core 2-branched O-glycans showed substantial lymphocyte binding, while binding was negligible on cell lines expressing 6-sulfo and non-sulfated sLeX attached to N-glycans and non-sulfated sLeX attached to extended core 1 O-glycans. These results indicate that MECA-79−/HECA-452+/NCC-ST-439+ glycans, namely 6-sulfo and non-sulfated sLeXs attached to core 2-branched O-glycans, expressed on HEV-like vessels in gastric MALT lymphoma, function as L-selectin ligands and likely contribute to H. pylori-specific T-cell recruitment in the progression of gastric MALT lymphoma.