title: Serum protein-bound carbohydrates for following the course of disease in patients with metastatic breast carcinoma.
abstract: Serum protein-bound carbohydrates, L-fucose, sialic acid, D-galactose, and D-mannose, were measured as potential biologic markers in patients with breast cancer with the use of high-resolution anion exchange separation in combination with a sensitive cerate oxidimetric fluorescence detector system. For 22 randomly selected patients with proved metastatic breast cancer, both L-fucose and sialic acid levels were above the normal range in 21 patients (95%). In contrast, D-mannose was increased in the sera of 9 patients (41%), and D-galactose in 6 (27%). By comparison, the level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was elevated in 14 patients (64%). The levels for serially determined serum protein-bound carbohydrates paralleled objective changes of response or progression in 5 patients with measurable disease. As might be expected, the degree and pattern of elevation for the individual carbohydrates varied for each patient studied. Combinations of serum protein-bound carbohydrates, particularly L-fucose and sialic acid, and, in addition, CEA, appear to have promise as potential biomarkers for following the course of the disease in patients with metastatic breast cancer.
mesh_terms: D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005643:Fucose / Q000097:blood; D005693:Galactosemias / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008358:Mannose / Q000097:blood; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000097:blood; D011379:Prognosis; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D002241:Carbohydrates; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D012794:Sialic Acids; D005643:Fucose; D008358:Mannose