Gastric Fetal Sulphoglycoprotein Antigen (FSA) and Blood Group Antigens A and B

Abstract

Acid gastric glycoproteins deriving from 180 non-cancerous FSA secretors, 74 gastric cancer patients (FSA positives), and 28 young controls (FSA negatives), all in blood group A or B were analyzed for content of blood group antigens and for the relation of FSA (or N_o in young controls) to these. The Ouchterlony analysis revealed six different combinations in the same glycoprotein molecules or separately. There seemed to be a trend towards disappearance of blood group antigens in gastric cancer, although some of the non-cancerous FSA positives and gastric cancer samples showed quite a similar polydisperse picture. The glycoproteins deriving from young controls were strictly monodisperse and showed a strong positivity for blood group antigens. The practical importance of the present data lies in the fact that they provide the possibility of following the FSA blood group picture of non-cancerous FSA positives. This may warrant further clinical examinations as the picture alters.