title: Fucose levels in sera and in tumours of colorectal adenocarcinoma patients.
abstract: Fucose levels were determined in normal and tumour-derived tissues from patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma. Total, free and bound fucose were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the tumoral tissue. Comparison of serum fucose levels between patients with colorectal cancer and control subjects indicated no statistically significant differences in total, free and bound fucose expressed as nmol/ml serum. However, when total and bound fucose were normalized to total protein (nmol/mg protein), an elevation in both parameters was found in colorectal cancer patients, although only that for total fucose was statistically significant (P < 0.001). A clear association between fucose content and clinical stage of patients according to the Dukes' classification can not be established, although patients at stage C showed higher levels of fucose both in serum and tissue. The current investigation provides direct evidence of a relationship between the elevation of fucose and the presence of tumour in colorectal cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, University of Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández-Rodríguez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Páez de la Cadena
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Martínez-Zorzano
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Berrocal
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005643:Fucose / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D005643:Fucose