Clinical Significance of Serum Mucin Associated Antigen Levels in Gastric Cancer Patients with Progression

Kiyoshi Maeda, Yong-Suk Chung, Yasuyuki Katoh, Akimasa Inui, Kwang Sa Kim, Naoyoshi Onoda, Yasuyuki Kondoh, Atsunori Niita, Toshiaki Kubo, Michio Sowa

First Department of Surgery, Osaka City University, Medicine School

Serum sialyl Tn antigen (STN) levels in 170 gastric cancer patients and 120 healthy controls were measured. The mean STN level (± SD) in cancer patients was 51.6±143.3 U/ml and the positive rate was 20%. In the healthy controls, the mean STN level was 31.5±12.1 U/ml and the positive rate was only 7.5%. The positive rate of STN rose in accordance with increased in the histological stage, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic permeation and depth of invasion. A significant difference in outcome was observed between the STN-positive group and the negative group, and the survival rate for the negative group was higher than that for the positive group. These results suggest that serum levels of STN may be a good prognostic indicator for gastric cancer.

Key words
sialyl Tn antigen, serum tumor marker, carcinoma of stomach

Reprint requests
Kiyoshi Maeda First Department of Surgery, Osaka City University, Medical
1-5-7 Asahi-sadi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 554, JAPAN

Accepted
September 9, 1992

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