Elevated activities of serum (α(1→3)-L-fucosyltransferase in human cancer

Serum α(1→3)-L-fucosyltransferase activity was measured in 268 patients, 11 leukemia, 22 non-neoplastic diseases and in 100 healthy controls. The levels of enzyme activity were significantly elevated in the sera of patients with cancer when compared to those in benign diseases and healthy controls. The elevation of the enzyme activity was found to correlate strongly with the clinical stages and to the size of tumor in gastric and lung cancer. The sensitivity of the enzyme was also demonstrated to be high in comparison with that of tumor-associated antigens such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and sialyl Lewis X-i. Follow-up studies of α(1→3)-L-fucosyltransferase activity showed that the monitoring of the enzyme activity was useful in tracking the clinical course of disease after surgery. These results suggest that serum α(1→3)-L-fucosyltransferase activity could be used as a diagnostic marker for cancer.