ABSTRACT
The Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (galactose (1-3) N-acetyl galactosamine- -) behaves as an oncofetal antigen in many epithelial tissues, becoming expressed in hyperplasia or malignancy. There is a considerable literature showing that in the human colon this antigen is increasingly expressed in hyperplastic and adenomatous polyps, inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) and in colorectal cancer. The Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen is recognized by many galactose-binding lectins. Although some of these are toxic or associated with toxins (e.g. Ricinus communis and Abrus precatorius), there is a group of non-toxic dietary lectins which are highly resistant to digestion in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract and avidly interact with TF antigen expressed by the intestinal mucosa.
