title: Pre-operative serum levels of sialyl Tn antigen predict liver metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the prognostic value of preoperative serum levels of sialyl Tn antigen (STN) for survival of gastric cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre-operative serum levels of STN, sialyl Lewis(a)antigen (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were examined in 180 patients who underwent resection of gastric cancer. Patients were divided into high and low antigen groups on the basis of a selected diagnostic-based cut-off value. Correlation between high antigen serum levels, established clinicopathologic factors and prognosis was examined by univariate and multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight patients (15.6%) were classified as high STN; 37 (20.6%) as high CA19-9; and 33 (18.3%) as high CEA. The survival time of the high STN, CA19-9 or CEA group was shorter than that of the respective low-antigen group (P<0.0001, P=0.0008 or P=0.0002, respectively). Patients with stage III/IV tumours with high STN had a shorter survival time that those with low STN (P=0.0004). Cox's regression with multiple covariates showed that high serum STN is an independent factor predicting a worse outcome in gastric cancer patients. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that high serum STN is an independent predictor for the development of liver metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-operative high serum levels of STN predict both liver metastasis and poor prognosis after resection for gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Sasebo, Japan. nakagoe@net.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagoe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jibiki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nanashima
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasutake
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ayabe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arisawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C055491:sialosyl-Tn antigen