title: Serum mucin-associated antigen levels of cystic fibrosis patients are related to their ages and clinical statuses.
abstract: Mucin levels are generally elevated in sera from many cystic fibrosis (CF) patients as measured by radioimmunoassay using monoclonal antibody 19-9, which is directed against the mucin-associated sialyl Lea antigen. Antibody 19-9 can only be used to measure mucin-associated antigen levels in those patients who are genetically able to make detectable levels of mucin-associated sialyl Lea epitope. Serial studies of 20 patients followed over 3-5 y showed that their serum mucin-associated antigen levels varied directly with respect to the severity of their disease and inversely with their Shwachman-Kulczycki clinical scores (p less than 0.001) and Brasfield chest roentgenographic scores (p less than 0.02). Serum mucin-associated antigen levels in samples from 89 CF patients were generally higher in the older patients (p less than 0.025). Serum mucin-associated antigen levels of CF patients who were colonized with Pseudomonas aeruginosa did not significantly differ from those of uninfected CF patients. The mean serum mucin-associated antigen level of CF patients colonized with Pseudomonas was higher than the mean mucin level of six non-CF bronchiectatic patients whose lungs were colonized with Pseudomonas (p = 0.053). Serum mucin-associated antigen levels are thus related to CF patients' ages and clinical statuses.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Frates
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chernick
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ginsburg
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009077:Mucins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D009077:Mucins