Serum carbohydrate antigen elevations in endometrial adenocarcinomas: characterization of DU-PAN-2 expression as a tumor marker.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize serum elevations of carbohydrate antigens; DU-PAN-2, CA19-9, sialyl Lewisx and CA125 in endometrial adenocarcinomas (EMACs), particularly focusing on the clarification of DU-PAN-2 expression profiles.


METHODS
Sixty-four resected EMACs of endometrioid type were used. The preoperative serum values of four markers were measured and comparatively analyzed regarding the relationship between histological grade and clinicopathological stage.


RESULTS
The overall ratios of positive cases were 26.2% for DU-PAN-2, 25.0% for CA19-9, 13.6% for sialyl Lewisx, and 35.5% for CA125. DU-PAN-2 decreased as the grading went up (G1: 410.3 +/- 243.8 to G3: 246.7 +/- 90.0 U/mL), however, the reverse was true with CA19-9 (G1: 123.9 +/- 147.4 to G3: 320.0 +/- 180.0 U/mL). Sialyl Lewisx showed a strong tendency towards high elevation in G1 (346.3 +/- 102.6 U/mL), compared to G3 (< 2.5 U/mL). CA125 increased markedly as the grading went up (G1: 43.5 +/- 6.3 to G3: 578.0 +/- 10.0 U/mL). During staging-up from I + II to III + IV, the positive ratios inclined in all four markers as follows: DU-PAN-2, 18.4-53.3%; CA19-9, 20.4-40.0%; sialyl Lewisx, 11.4-22.2%; CA125, 31.8-44.4%. Serum elevations and positive ratios were correlated for DU-PAN-2, CA19-9 and CA125, while the reverse relationship was found for sialyl Lewisx.


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that DU-PAN-2 tends to be produced more in well-differentiated components of EMACs than in poorly differentiated ones. Since approximately half the cases with EMAC were serologically positive for DU-PAN-2 in stage III + IV, the marker is believed to be of much use for monitoring the cases with an extrauterine extent.
Yasuda
Masanori
M
Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Kanagawa, Japan. m-yasuda@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
Saito
Kaoru
K
Kobayashi
Youichi
Y
Muramatsu
Toshinari
T
Miyamoto
Tsuyoshi
T
Murakami
Masaru
M
Shinozuka
Takao
T
Ishizuka
Bunpei
B
Makino
Tsunehisa
T
Kajiwara
Hiroshi
H
Osamura
Robert Yoshiyuki
RY
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000080506:Sialyl Lewis X Antigen
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; C042317:DU-PAN-2 antigen, human; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D000080506:Sialyl Lewis X Antigen