Mark Thorson wrote:
> "Jean B." wrote:
>> When DID you stop eating peanuts?
>
> I believe it was in 2002, after I read this
> alarming paper:
>
> Gastroenterology 1998 Jan;114(1):44-9
> Peanut ingestion increases rectal proliferation in individuals
> with mucosal expression of peanut lectin receptor.
> Ryder SD, Jacyna MR, Levi AJ, Rizzi PM, Rhodes JM.
> Department of Gastroenterology, Northwick Park Hospital,
> Middlesex, England.
>
> BACKGROUND & AIMS: The Thomsen-Friedenreich
> blood group antigen (galactose beta 1,3-N-acetyl
> galactosamine alpha-) acts as an oncofetal antigen
> in the colonic epithelium, with low expression in
> normal adult epithelia but increasing to fetal levels
> of expression in hyperplasia or malignancy. Peanut
> lectin is one of the commonest dietary lectins that
> binds this antigen. The aim of this study was to
> determine whether peanut ingestion can alter rectal
> epithelial proliferation.
>
> METHODS: Thirty-six patients with normal colonic
> mucosa consumed 100 g of peanuts each
> day for 5 days. Rectal mitotic index was measured
> before and after ingestion, and changes in
> proliferation were correlated with immunohistochemical
> detection of lectin receptor expression by
> colonocytes and fecal lectin activity as measured
> by hemagglutination assay.
>
> RESULTS: Peanut ingestion caused a 41% increase
> in rectal mucosal proliferation in individuals with
> macroscopically normal mucosa who express
> TF antigen in their rectal mucosae (10 of 36
> patients studied). The proliferative response
> correlated with fecal hemagglutinating activity, and
> peanut lectin could be shown immunohistochemically
> within the rectal mucosa.
>
> CONCLUSIONS: The common expression
> of galactose beta 1,3-N-acetyl galactosamine
> alpha- by hyperplastic and neoplastic epithelia
> may therefore be functionally important because it
> allows interaction with mitogenic dietary lectins.
> This could be an important mechanism for the
> association between diet and colorectal cancer.

Makes me regret my peanut- and PB eating. :-(

--
Jean B.