A method for detecting tumor cells derived from colorectal cancer by targeting cell surface glycosylation with affinity capillary electrophoresis.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are involved in metastasis; thus, one of the most important approaches for identifying metastatic cancer is to detect CTCs in blood. In the present study, we examined whether directly analyzing cells with capillary electrophoresis (CE) could distinguish cancer cells from normal cells, based on differences in cell surface glycosylation. We compared human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines to a normal colon epithelium cell line. Our results demonstrated that direct CE analysis could successfully distinguish between CRC and normal cells with high reproducibility, based on migration times. We found that the weighted-average migration time was significantly shorter for CRC cells than for normal cells. Next, we observed changes in the electrophoretic behaviors of CRC cells by adding five different types of lectins. When Aleuria aurantia lectin was added, migration delays were observed in CRC cells, but not in normal colon cells. Therefore, by focusing on shifts in migration time after adding specific lectins, we could distinguish cancer cells from normal cells. These findings suggested that this diagnostic method of directly analyzing cells with CE after adding specific lectin(s) could be useful for detecting the difference in the sugar moieties on a surface of normal and cancer cells.