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A, B, H, and Lewis-a and Lewis-b blood group antigens in human breast cancer: Correlation with steroid hormone receptor and disease status

  • Original Papers
  • Clinical Oncology
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Abstract

Estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) hormone receptor status and levels were correlated with blood group antigen (A, B, H, Lewis-a and Lewis-b) expression in 48 cases of human breast cancer. Reduced expression of all the blood group antigens was observed with statistically significant reductions for H, Lewis-a and Lewis-b (P<0.05). The proportions of ER- and PR-positive breast cancers staining for Lewis-b were greater than in hormone-receptor-negative cancers but the differences were not significant. The loss of Lewis-b antigen in breast cancer increased with tumor grade but did not correlate with axillary lymph node metastases. Loss of Lewis-b antigen is probably not a predictor of local recurrence and survival in the short period of observation. We conclude that the loss of H, Lewis-a and especially, Lewis-b in breast cancer reflects the invasiveness of breast cancer and that Lewis-a and b expression is probably only marginally and not significantly affected by steroid hormone receptor status and levels.

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  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, 8440-112th Street, T6G 2B7, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Halliday A. Idikio & V. Manickavel

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  1. Halliday A. Idikio
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  2. V. Manickavel
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Idikio, H.A., Manickavel, V. A, B, H, and Lewis-a and Lewis-b blood group antigens in human breast cancer: Correlation with steroid hormone receptor and disease status. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 119, 486–492 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01215930

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01215930

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