Elevated activities of blood group Le gene dependent alpha(1----3)-L-fucosyltransferase in human saliva of Lewis negative patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Levels of alpha(1----3)-L-fucosyltransferase activities were measured in salivas of patients with ovarian cancer. GDP-L-Fuc:GlcNAc alpha(1----3)-fucosyltransferase was found elevated in patients known to have epithelial ovarian cancer, irrespective of their ABH and Lewis blood group phenotypes. GDP-L-Fuc: Glc alpha(1----3)-fucosyltransferase was also elevated in both Lewis positive and negative patients, although the enzyme activity was very low or absent in Lewis negative healthy controls.