Carbohydrate-related tumor markers

Carbohydrate-related tumor markers either are (1) antigens on the tumor cell surface or (2) secreted by the tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies have been developed against these antigens. These markers have been found to be clinically useful as tumor markers and tend to be more specific than naturally secreted markers, such as enzymes and hormones. Biochemically, they are high molecular weight mucins (Table 23-10) or blood group antigens (Table 23-11). 

Carbohydrate tumor marker tumor-related antigen GM3 1998 A Detection level of <10 cells, melanoma cells diluted in 2 million healthy blood lymphocytes Zhang et al. [96]... 

Pleurodeles waltl and Ambystoma mexicanum (axolotl), bred in many laboratories, were chosen because of the abundance of mucins which surround their eggs. The first analyses led to the isolation of Lewis and Lewis antigenic determinants, which are known to be related to human tumor-associated antigens. For these reasons, the jelly coats of amphibian eggs could represent a valuable model to examine 0-linked carbohydrate structures during evolution, associated with a possible function involving specific markers for the fertilization process. 

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