JOEL SHEINFELD, MD
Urology at York Ave, New York, NY

5168043, Dec 1, 1992

Mar 28, 1989

7/330591

Carlos Cordon-Cardo - New York NY
Kenneth O. Lloyd - Bronx NY
Connie L. Finstad - New York NY
Lloyd J. Old - New York NY
Mryon R. Melamed - Dobbs Ferry NY
Joel Sheinfeld - New York NY

Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research - New York NY

G01N 33574, G01N 33571

435 723

The subject invention describes a method of determining the secretor status of an individual which comprises obtaining a sample of a biological fluid from the individual and determining whether the sample includes the Lewis. sup. a or Lewis. sup. b antigens, the presence of the Lewis. sup. a antigen in the sample indicating that the individual is a nonsecretor, the presence of the Lewis. sup. b antigen in the sample indicating that the individual is a secretor, and the presence of neither antigen indicating the secretor status of the individual is inconclusive. The invention also provides a method of further determining the secretor status of an individual of having an inconclusive secretor status which comprises determining whether the biological fluid sample from the individual includes A, B or precursor type 1 chain antigens, the presence of any such antigens in the sample indicating that the individual is a secretor, the lack of any such antigens in the sample indicating that the individual is a nonsecretor. The invention provides a method of determining whether a human female subject is susceptible to urogenital infection which comprises determining whether the subject is a secretor according to the hereinabove-described methods, a secretor being susceptible to such an infection. The present application also provides a method of disstinguishing urothelial carcinoma from normal tissue, and identifying human germ cell tumor as seminoma or nonseminoma.