UP-REGULATION OF THE OLIGOSACCHARIDE SIALYL LEWIS(X) - A NEW PROGNOSTIC PARAMETER IN METASTATIC PROSTATE-CANCER

Metastatic prostate cancer has an unpredictable long-term prognosis, A t present, there are few specific predictors to indicate the outcome f or the individual patient, We have studied immunoreactivity for type-2 carbohydrate structures, known to be involved in various cell adhesio n processes, in patients with metastatic prostate cancer, One group of patients (n = 26) did not progress within 3 years after orchiectomy, while another group of patients (n = 33) progressed within 1 year foll owing castration and survived less than 2 years, Among the parameters studied, sialyl Lewis(X) carbohydrate up-regulation was the only varia ble showing significant association with poor prognosis (P < 0.01), Si alyl Lewis(X) discriminated between these two outcome groups with 71% predictability and 96% specificity, Our results indicate that up-regul ation of sialyl Lewis(X) is associated with hormonal-resistant, aggres sive disease, This prognostic marker may, therefore, have an important role in selecting proper treatment for patients with metastatic prost ate cancer.