A and B blood group antigens in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas

The aim of this study was to determine the clinicopathological significance of blood group expression patterns in patients with surgically resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas from 459 patients were analyzed for immunohistochemical expression of A and B blood group antigens on tissue microarrays. Correlations were established by Fisher's test, χ(2) test, and logistic regression models, and relationships to postsurgical overall survival were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and multivariate Cox models.

Tumors expressing blood group A antigen predicted fewer lymph node metastases (<3) and had longer postoperative survival by univariate and multivariate analysis. Loss of A antigen tumor expression in A blood group type patients correlated to vascular invasion.

In patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, blood group A antigen expression predicted fewer lymph node metastases and was associated with improved outcome after pancreaticoduodenectomy.