A, B, H, and Lewis-a and Lewis-b blood group antigens in human breast cancer: correlation with steroid hormone receptor and disease status.
Estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) hormone receptor status and levels were correlated with blood group antigen (A, B, H, Lewis-a and Lewis-b) expression in 48 cases of human breast cancer. Reduced expression of all the blood group antigens was observed with statistically significant reductions for H, Lewis-a and Lewis-b (P < 0.05). The proportions of ER- and PR-positive breast cancers staining for Lewis-b were greater than in hormone-receptor-negative cancers but the differences were not significant. The loss of Lewis-b antigen in breast cancer increased with tumor grade but did not correlate with axillary lymph node metastases. Loss of Lewis-b antigen is probably not a predictor of local recurrence and survival in the short period of observation. We conclude that the loss of H, Lewis-a and, especially, Lewis-b in breast cancer reflects the invasiveness of breast cancer and that Lewis-a and b expression is probably only marginally and not significantly affected by steroid hormone receptor status and levels.
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Canada.
H A
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Idikio
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Manickavel
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D007519:Isoantigens; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone