title: Prognostic significance of blood group antigen expression of tumor tissue in lung cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many prognostic factors have been evaluated both for SCLC and NSCLC. The prognostic significance of blood group antigen expression of tumor tissues has been studied particularly in NSCLC, yielding divergent results. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic value of the tumoral expression of blood group antigens ABH in lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of blood group antigens was assessed immunohistochemically in paraffin-embedded tumor samples from 92 patients diagnosed between 1996 and 1997. Monoclonal antibodies were used to detect blood group antigens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median survival was longer in NSCLC patients whose tumors were positive for blood group antigen A (P = 0.009). Since the expression of blood group antigen A in tumor cells was limited to patients with type A or AB blood, survival analysis of these patients showed survival to be longer in non-small cell lung cancer patients with blood group antigen A-positive tumors (P= 0.0019).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of blood group antigen A in tumor cells is an important, favorable prognostic factor in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, which could be useful to stratify patients with blood group A or AB according to possible outcome, and to guide therapeutic decision-making. The expression of blood group antigens ABH should be evaluated in larger series of lung cancer patients (including small and non-small cell lung cancer) with all blood types.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey. fusunulger@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Aype Füsun
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ulger
authors.forename: Tülay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keklik
authors.forename: Ozlem Ozdemir
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Kumbasar
authors.forename: Peri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arbak
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demirkazýk
authors.forename: Adem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Güngör
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erekul
authors.forename: Doğanay
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alper
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000276:immunology*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor