The binding site for fucose-binding proteins of Lotus tetragonolobus is a prognostic marker for transitional cell carcinoma of the human urinary bladder.

Background: Carbohydrate signals are important in tumor metastasis.
Methods: Expression of binding sites for fucose-binding proteins (FBP) of Lotus tetragonolobus were immunohistochemically analyzed in patients with transitional cell carcinoma.
Results: The survival of patients with invasive bladder cancer was associated with the degree of expression of FBP binding sites. Overall actuarial 5-year survival and cancer-corrected 5-year survival rates were much worse in patients with strong expression of FBP binding sites than in those with no or weak expression (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). Strong expression of FBP binding sites in patients with Stage T3-4 disease or disease beyond Stage T2 with lymphatic permeation also was correlated with increased disease progression. Autopsies revealed that FBP binding sites were strongly expressed in all primary tumors with metastasis and in most of the metastatic tissues.
Conclusion: The degree of expression of FBP binding sites correlates with the increased metastatic potential of bladder cancer and with poor patient survival times.