title: Beta1,3-galactosyltransferases-4/5 are novel tumor markers for gynecological cancers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While the CA 125 and SCC antigens are used as tumor markers for ovarian cancer and uterine cervical cancer, respectively, an effective marker for uterine corpus cancer has not been identified. We asked whether beta1,3-galactosyltransferase-4 and/or 5 (beta3Gal-T4/T5) could serve as novel tumor markers for detecting gynecological carcinomas, especially those of the uterine corpus.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained a monoclonal antibody and a polyclonal antiserum against beta3Gal-T5 and constructed a sandwich ELISA method. Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation revealed that this ELISA recognizes both beta3Gal-T4 and beta3Gal-T5.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found beta3Gal-T4 and T5 enzymatic activity in ovarian cancer tissues, indicating that these enzymes are expressed at least in ovarian cancer. The cutoff value was determined by ROC analysis to be 5.4 ng/ml in the sera. The beta3Gal-T4/T5-positive rates for the sera from ovarian cancer and uterine cervical cancer patients were comparable with the CA 125- and SCC antigen-positive rates for these cancers, respectively. Significantly, the beta3Gal-T4/T5-positive rate was higher for uterine corpus cancer (64%) than the CA 125 (37%)- and CA 19-9 (24%)-positive rates. The stage I uterine corpus cancers had particularly high beta3Gal-T4/T5-positive rates (57%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  beta3Gal-T4/T5 is a novel tumor marker for uterine corpus cancer and other gynecological cancers.
authors.affiliation: Innovative Research Initiatives, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seko
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hatae
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yonezawa
authors.forename: Katsuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005700:Galactosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015843:Serpins / Q000378:metabolism; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D015843:Serpins; C051072:squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen; C479886:B3GALT5 protein, human; D005700:Galactosyltransferases; C540196:UDP-Gal-betaGlcNAc beta 1,3-galactosyltransferase, human