Correlation of serum sialic acid fractions as markers for carcinoma of the uterine cervix

Serum total sialic acid (TSA) and lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA) levels have aroused considerable interest as markers of malignancy. FSA (Free Sialic Acid) has not been considered as a potential tumor marker due to a lack of sensitivity of the methods used in the studies performed up to now. The present investigation determined the TSA, CLSA (Corrected Lipid Sialic Acidi) and FSA values for 20 normal females, 10 patients with benign gynecological disease and 32 patients with various stages of carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Data analysis indicated significant (0.01 < P < 0.05) increases of TSA value only in the mean values (671 +/- 126 micrograms mL-1) in stage II A of carcinoma of the uterine cervix when compared to normal controls (mean 534 +/- 102 micrograms mL-1). It showed, instead, significant (0.01 < P < 0.1) increases of CLSA values only in the mean values (6.41 +/- 1.32 micrograms mL-1) found on stage I B of carcinoma of the uterine cervix when compared to normal controls (mean 5.33 +/- 1.50 micrograms mL-1). In the case of FSA significant differences were found with respect to normal controls (mean 0.316 +/- 0.081 micrograms mL-1) in all stages of carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The mean values found were 0.485 +/- 0.118 micrograms mL-1 (0.001 < P < 0.01) in patients with stage I A, 0.666 +/- 0.176 micrograms mL-1 (P < 0.001) in patients with stage I B and 0.572 +/- 0.164 +/- micrograms mL-1 (0.001 < P < 0.01) in patients with stage II A. TSA and CLSA separated measurements appeared to be of limited value in the detection of carcinoma of the uterine cervix. However, results show that FSA was the most sensitive of the three markers tested for detecting malignancies