Blood Group Antigen Lewis Y/Blood Group Related Antigen BG8 [LWY/1463]

Blood group related antigens are a group of carbohydrate determinants carried on both glycolipids and glycoproteins. They are usually mucin-type, and are detected on erythrocytes, certain epithelial cells, and in secretions of certain individuals. The group includes A, B, H, Lewis a, Lewis b, Lewis x, Lewis y, and precursor type 1 chain antigens. BG8 Lewis y is a difucosylated tetrasaccharide found on the Type 2 blood group oligosaccharides of glycolipids and glycoproteins. It is expressed in large bowel tumors and colorectal carcinomas. Blood group antigens can be useful to differentiate between pulmonary adenocarcinoma and epithelioid mesotheloma. BG8 Lewis y may be useful in the classification of human renal and bladder tumors. A panel of calretinin, BG8 Lewis y, and Ep-CAM helps distinguish epithelioid mesotheloma from adenocarcinoma from a variety of sources (lung, ovary, breast, stomach).