SERUM α (1→3) -L-FUCOSYLTRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN GASTRIC AND LUNG CANCER

USEFULNESS AS A NEW TUMOR MARKER

Abstract

Serum α (1→3) -L-fucosyltransferase activity was measured in 90 patients with gastric cancer, 58 with lung cancer, 27 with benign disease and in 100 healthy controls. Levels of enzyme activity were significantly higher in sera of patients with cancer than in those from patients with benign disease and in healthy controls. The elevation in enzyme activity correlated not only with clinical stages but also with the size of primary lung cancer. Follow-up studies in patients with tumor in various stages of malignancy revealed that measurement of the enzyme activity was useful in tracking the clinical course of disease after surgery. To evaluate the usefulness of the enzyme activity as a tumor marker, CEA and sialyl Lewis X-i antigen levels were also measured. The results indicate that serum α (1→3) -L-fucosyltransferase activity could be a more sensitive and specific tumor marker than other tumor-associated antigens such as CEA and sialyl Lewis X-i antigen in gastric and lung cancer.