title: Sialyl Tn antigen is an independent predictor of outcome in patients with gastric cancer.
abstract: The prognostic value of the immunohistochemical expression of Sialyl Tn antigen (STn) was evaluated in 242 patients with gastric carcinoma. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens of gastric adenocarcinomas were stained with the monoclonal antibody C1282, produced by immunization with ovine submaxillary mucin (OSM). Positive immunoreactivity for STn was observed in 149 (62%) patients. The expression of STn did not correlate with stage of disease (TNM), tumour location, presence of lymph-node or distant metastases, histological type, age or gender. STn immunoreactivity correlated strongly with overall survival in univariate analysis. The median survival in the STn-positive group was 21 months, in comparison to 38 months in the STn-negative group. The difference in survival between STn-negative and STn-positive tumours was significant in patients with stage-I cancer, but not in patients with stage-II -III or -IV disease. STn immunoreactivity emerged as an independent prognostic factor in Cox multivariate analysis. It is concluded that the immunohistochemical expression of STn is a good marker in the prediction of survival in patients with stage-I gastric carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Surgery, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Victorzon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nordling
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haglund
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C040286:Tn antigen