Glycans related to the CA19-9 antigen are elevated in distinct subsets of pancreatic cancers and improve diagnostic accuracy over CA19-9.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The CA19-9 antigen is the current best biomarker for pancreatic cancer, but it is not elevated in about 25% of pancreatic cancer patients at a cutoff that gives a 25% false-positive rate. We hypothesized that antigens related to the CA19-9 antigen, which is a glycan called sialyl-Lewis A (sLeA), are elevated in distinct subsets of pancreatic cancers.

Methods

We profiled the levels of multiple glycans and mucin glycoforms in plasma from 200 subjects with either pancreatic cancer or benign pancreatic disease, and we validated selected findings in additional cohorts of 116 and 100 subjects, the latter run blinded and including cancers that exclusively were early-stage.

Results

We found significant elevations in two glycans: an isomer of sLeA called si

SUBMITTER: Tang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4792034 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature