Correlation and prognostic significance of beta-galactoside alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase and serum monosialylated alpha-fetoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the correlation between tissue ST6Gal I and serum msAFP in HCC patients, and to investigate their prognostic significance.


METHODS
Preoperative sera, paired tumorous and non-tumorous tissues were collected from 19 consecutive patients who had undergone surgical resection of HCC. ST6Gal I activities in the tissues were measured by an in vitro microsomal enzyme activity assay. The percentages of tumor-specific msAFP in the sera were also estimated by an isoelectric focusing-immunoblotting assay.


RESULTS
The tumor ST6Gal I activity was negatively correlated with serum msAFP percentage (r = -0.53, P = 0.019). Both decreased tumor ST6Gal I activity and increased serum msAFP percentage were associated with poor tumor cell differentiation. Univariate analyses showed that both decreased tumor ST6Gal I activity (P = 0.028), increased serum msAFP percentage (P = 0.034) and poor tumor cell differentiation (P = 0.031) were associated with shorter overall survival. Multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model showed that the preoperative serum msAFP percentage (P = 0.022) and tumor cell differentiation status (P = 0.048) were independent prognostic indicators for patient overall survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that the presence of msAFP in blood circulation is associated with a decreased activity of ST6Gal I activity in HCC. Both tissue ST6Gal I and serum msAFP are potential prognostic markers for patients with operable HCC.
Poon
Terence C W
TC
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China. tcwpoon@cuhk.edu.hk
Chiu
Clarissa H S
CH
Lai
Paul B S
PB
Mok
Tony S K
TS
Zee
Benny
B
Chan
Anthony T C
AT
Sung
Joseph J Y
JJ
Johnson
Philip J
PJ
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012799:Sialyltransferases; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015996:Survival Rate; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000094802:beta-D-Galactoside alpha 2-6-Sialyltransferase
D015703:Antigens, CD; D012799:Sialyltransferases; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C093493:ST6GAL1 protein, human; D000094802:beta-D-Galactoside alpha 2-6-Sialyltransferase