Pre-operative serum levels of sialyl Tn antigen predict liver metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.
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.
Nakagoe
T
T
First Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Sasebo, Japan. nakagoe@net.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
Sawai
T
T
Tsuji
T
T
Jibiki
M
M
Nanashima
A
A
Yamaguchi
H
H
Yasutake
T
T
Ayabe
H
H
Arisawa
K
K
Ishikawa
H
H
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
D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C055491:sialosyl-Tn antigen