H. Satoh et al., ELEVATED SERUM SIALYL-LEWIS X-I ANTIGEN LEVELS IN NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER WITH LUNG METASTASIS, Respiration, 65(4), 1998, pp. 295-298
To evaluate the relationship between serum levels of sialyl Lewis X-i
antigen and lung metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cance
r (NSCLC), we measured the serum level of the antigen in 299 patients
with untreated locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC. Before treatment,
serum levels of sialyl Lewis X-i antigen were significantly higher in
patients with lung metastasis than in those without lung metastatis (
p = 0.0001). Of 201 patients without lung metastasis at the time of pr
imary diagnosis, 121 patients died between July 1987 and December 1995
. Serum levels of sialyl Lewis X-i antigen in 21 patients who develope
d lung metastasis during the period were significantly higher than tho
se in 100 patients who did not develop lung metastasis (p = 0.0171). O
ur results suggested that sialyl Lewis X-i antigen might be a good ind
icator for the presence or development of lung metastasis, and it migh
t provide clinical information about the management of patients with N
SCLC.