Lewis blood group antigens in urine sediments from patients with urinary bladder carcinoma

Urine sediments from 20 patients with urinary bladder carcinoma, and from 11 healthy individuals were investigated for their content of Lea and Leb active glycolipids. The investigation was restricted to blood group phenotype Le (a-b+). All individuals exhibited both Lea- and Leb-active glycolipids. In healthy individuals the ratio Lea/Leb was less than 1 in 10 out of 11 cases, whereas in patients with bladder cancer the ratio Lea/Leb was greater than 1 in 11 out of 20 cases. No correlation between the Lea/Leb ratio on the one hand and tumour grade or stage on the other hand could be shown. The results indicate one possible explanation for the loss of ABH antigens in bladder cancer and also demonstrate the potential of detailed biochemical investigations on exfoliated material in urine.