Cytokeratms and carcinoembryonic antigen in diagnosis, staging and prognosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma

AIM: To evaluate the serum levels of cytokeratins and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in diagnosis, staging and prognosis of patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma. METHODS: The sample consisted of 169 patients. One hundred blood donors formed the control group. Radical surgery was performed on 120 patients, with an average follow-up duration of 22.3 mo. Relapses occurred in 23 individuals after an average of 18.09 mo. CEA was assayed via the Delfia method with a limit of 5 ng/mL Cytokeratins were assayed via the LIA-mat TPA-M Prolifigen method with a limit of 72 U/L. RESULTS: In the diagnosis of patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma, CEA showed a sensitivity of 56%, a specificity of 95%, a positive predictive value of 94%, a negative predictive value of 50% and an accuracy of 76.8%. TPA-M had a sensitivity of 70%, a specificity of 96%, a positive predictive value of 97%, a negative predictive value of 66% and an accuracy of 93.6%. The elevation of one of the markers was shown to have a sensitivity of 76.9%, a specificity of 91%, a positive predictive value of 93.5%, a negative predictive value of 70% and an accuracy of 83.6%. There was no variation in the levels of the markers according to the degree of cell differentiation while there was an elevation in their concentrations in accordance with the increase in neoplastic dissemination. There was a statistically significant difference between the patients with stage IV lesions and those with stages I, II and III tumors. With regard to CEA, the average level was 14.2 ng/mL in patients with stage I lesions, 8.5 ng/mL in patients with stage II lesions, 8.0 ng/mL in patients with stage III lesions and 87.7 ng/mL in patients with stage IV lesions. In relation to TPA-M, the levels were 153.1 U/L in patients with stage I tumors, 106.5 U/L in patients with stage II tumors, 136.3 U/L in patients with stage III tumors and 464.3 U/L in patients with stage IV tumors. There was a statistical difference in patients with a high CEA level in relation to a shorter survival (P<0.05). However, there was no correlation between patients with high TPA-M levels and prognostic indices of patients undergoing radical surgery. CONCLUSION: Cytokeratins demonstrate a greater sensitivity than CEA in the diagnosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma. There is an increase in the sensitivity of the markers with tumor dissemination. Cytokeratins cannot identify the worse prognosis in patients undergoing radical surgery, Cytokeratins constitute an advance in the direction of a perfect tumor marker in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer.     

Peripheral and mesenteric serum levels of CEA and cytokeratins,staging and histopathological variables in colorectal adenocarcinoma

AIM： To evaluate the differences that exist bet- ween peripheral and mesenteric serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen （CEA） and cytokeratins in patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma. METHODS： One hundred and thirty-eight patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery at Hospital Sao Paulo （Discipline of Surgical Gastroenterology of UNIFESP-EPM） between December 1993 and March 2000 were retrospectively analyzed. Differences between CEA and cytokeratin （TPA-M） levels in peripheral blood （P） and in mesenteric blood （M） were studied. Associations were investigated between peripheral and mesenteric levels and the staging and histopathological variables （degree of cell differentiation, macroscopic appearance, tumor dimensions and presence of lymphatic and venous invasion）. RESULTS： Differences were observed in the numerical values of the marker levels： CEA （M） （39.10 mg/1 ± 121.19 mg/L） vs CEA （P） （38.5 mg/L ± 122.55 mg/L）, P 〈 0.05; TPA-M （M） （325.06 U/L ±527.29 U/L） vs TPA-M （P） （279.48 U/L ±455.81 U/L）, P 〈 0.01. The mesenteric CEA levels were higher in more advanced tumors （P 〈 0.01）, in vegetating lesions （34.44 mg/L ± 93.07 mg/L） （P 〈 0.01） and with venous invasion （48.41 mg/L ± 129.86 mg/L） （P 〈 0.05）. Peripheral CEA was higher with more advanced staging （P 〈 0.01）and in lesions with venous invasion （53.23 mg/L ± 258.57 mg/L） （P 〈 0.05）. The patients demonstrated increased mesenteric and peripheral TPA-M levels with more advanced tumors （P 〈 0.01 and P 〈 0.01） and in non-ulcerated lesions [530.45 U/L =1= 997.46 U/L （P 〈 0.05） and 457.95 U/L ± 811.36 U/L （P 〈 0.01）]. CONCLUSION： The mesenteric levels of the tumor markers CEA and cytokeratins were higher than the peripheral levels in these colorectal adenocarcinoma patients, Higher levels of these biologic tumor markers are associated with an advanced state of cancerous dissemination     

Value of carcinoembryonic antigen and cytokeratins for the detection of recurrent disease following curative resection of colorectal cancer

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of postoperative serial assay of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratins for the detection of recurrent disease in patients with coiorectai adenocarcinoma after radical surgery. METHODS: Between 1993 and 2000, 120 patients with coiorectai adenocarcinoma underwent radical surgery in the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Federal University of Sao Paulo-Escola Paulista de Medicina, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Periodic postoperative evaluation was performed by assaying markers in peripheral serum, colonoscopy and imaging examination. Presence of CEA was detected using the Delfia method with 5μg/L threshold, and cytokeratins using the LIA-mat TPA-M Prolifigen method with 72 U/L threshold. RESULTS: In the first postoperative year, patients without recurrent disease had normal levels of CEA (1.5±0.9μg/L) and monoclonal tissue polypeptide antigen-M (TPA-M, 64.4±47.8 U/L), while patients with recurrences had high levels of CEA (6.9±9.8μg/L, P < 0.01) and TPA-M (192.2±328.8 U/L, P < 0.05). During the second postoperative year, patients without tumor recurrence had normal levels of CEA (2.0±1.8μg/L) and TPA-M (50.8±38.4 U/L), while patients with recurrence had high levels of CEA (66.3±130.8μg/L, P < 0.01) and TPA-M (442.7±652.8 U/L, P < 0.05). The mean follow-up time was 22.3 mo. There was recurrence in 23 cases. Five reoperations were performed without achieving radical excision. Rises in tumor marker levels preceded identification of recurrences: CEA in seven (30%) and TPA-M in eleven individuals (48%). CONCLUSION: Intensive follow-up by serial assay of CEA and cytokeratins allows early detection of coiorectal neoplasm recurrence.     

Clinical impact of 18F-FDG-PET in the suspicion of recurrent colorectal cancer based on asymptomatically elevated serum level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in Taiwan

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To retrospectively evaluate the impact of 18F-fluorodeoxy-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to detect recurrent colorectal cancer based on asymptomatically elevated tumor marker level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). METHODOLOGY: Whole-body FDG-PET was performed in 50 patients suspected of having recurrent colorectal cancer and asymptomatically increased serum level of CEA (> 5 ng/mL), but other negative or equivocal imaging modality results. A blood sample was drawn in each case for CEA assay on the same day as the FDG-PET. The final diagnosis of recurrent colorectal cancer was established by operation/biopsy histopathological findings or clinical follow-up longer than 1 year by additional morphologic imaging techniques. RESULTS: Among the 50 patients, the final diagnosis of recurrent colorectal cancer was established in 64 lesions of 45 patients. FDG-PET could accurately detect 62 lesions but missed 2 false-negative lesions. In addition, there were 2 false-positive lesions. On a lesion-based analysis, the diagnostic sensitivity and positive predictive value of FDG-PET was 96.9%. There were 2 patients with false-negative lesions and 2 patients with false-positive lesions. Therefore, FDG-PET findings could lead to successful surgical resection in 41 (82.0%) patients. In addition, on a patient-based analysis, the diagnostic sensitivity and positive predictive value of FDG-PET was 95.3%. CONCLUSIONS: FDG-PET is a useful technique for detecting recurrent colorectal cancer suspected by asymptomatically elevated serum level of CEA and has an important clinical impact on the management in patients with suspected recurrent colorectal cancer.     

Determination of carcinoembryonic antigen levels in peripheral and draining venous blood in patients with colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The problem of the relationship between blood carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and tissue CEA content in colorectal carcinoma, and the mechanisms for CEA release from tumor cells in tissue adjacent to the neoplasm is important to understanding the biology of colorectal carcinoma. It has not been adequately explained whether CEA in the peripheral blood is drained mainly by portal system blood or by the lymphatic system, or indeed by both systems. AIM: To study the behavior of CEA levels in peripheral blood (CEA-p) and venous effluent blood (CEA-d) among patients with colorectal tumors, who underwent curative operation. METHOD: A total of 28 patients were studied (12 male [42.9%] and 16 female [57.1%], mean age 66.1 years [range: 43 - 84]). Immediately after laparotomy, peripheral venous blood was extracted by antecubital venous puncture and venous effluent blood was collected from the main drainage vein of the lesions. Values of CEA-p, CEA-d and the gradient between CEA-d and CEA-p that were less than 5.0 ng/mL were considered normal. RESULTS: Eight (28.6%) patients were stage A in Duke's classification, nine (32.1%) stage B and 11 (39.3%) stage C. The neoplasm was located in the rectum of 14 patients (50.0%), in the transverse colon in five (17.9%), in the sigmoid in four (14.3%), in the cecum and/or ascending colon in three (10.7%), and in the descending colon in two (7.1%). The histopathological examination revealed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma in all the patients. Only one patient (3.6%), Duke's classification stage C, presented neoplasm with venous invasion. The gradient between the CEA-p and CEA-d levels were normal in 25 patients (88.3%) and high in three (10.7%). The mean value for CEA-p was 3.8 +/- 4.1 ng/mL (0.1-21.1 ng/mL) and for the drained CEA (CEA-d) it was 4.5 +/- 4.3 ng/mL (0.3-20.2 ng/mL), without significant difference between these values. There was a significant difference between the mean value for CEA-p and CEA-d levels greater than 5 ng/mL. CONCLUSION: The CEA-p and CEA-d levels in the colorectal carcinoma patients were not shown to be different. The results from this study suggest that, in colorectal neoplasm without venous invasion, there may not be notable CEA drainage from the tumor by the portal vein effluent blood.     

Tumor type M2 pyruvate kinase expression in gastric cancer,colorectal cancer and controls

AIM: Tumor formation is generally linked to an expansionof glycolytic phosphometabolite pools and aerobic glycolyticflux rates.To achieve this,tumor cells generally overexpressa special glycolytic isoenzyme,termed pyruvate kinase typeM_2.The present study was designed to evaluate the useof a new tumor marker,tumor M_2-PK,in discriminatinggastrointestinal cancer patients from healthy controls,andto compare with the reference tumor markers CEA andCA72-4.METHODS: The concentration of tumor M2-PK in body fluidscould be quantitatively determined by a commerciallyavailable enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-kit(ScheBo(?) Tech,Giessen,Germany).By using this kit,thetumor M_2-PK concentration was measured in EDTA-plasmaof 108 patients.For the healthy blood donors a cut-offvalue of 15 U/mL was evaluated,which corresponded to90% specificity.Overall 108 patients were included in thisstudy,54 patients had a histological confirmed gastriccancer,54 patients colorectal cancer,and 20 healthyvolunteers served as controls.RESULTS: The cut-off value to discriminate patients fromcontrols was established at 15 U/mL for tumor M_2-PK.Themean tumor M_2-PK concentration of gastric cancer was26.937 U/mL.According to the TNM stage system,the meantumor M_2-PK concentration of stage Ⅰ was 16.324 U/mL,ofstage Ⅱ 15.290 U/mL,of stage Ⅲ 30.289 U/mL,of stage Ⅳ127.31 U/mL,of non-metastasis 12.854 U/mL and of metastasis35.711 U/mL.The mean Tumor M_2-PK concentration ofcolorectal cancer was 30.588 U/mL.According to the Dukesstage system,the mean tumor M_2-PK concentration ofDukes A was 16.638 U/mL,of Dukes B 22.070 U/mL,andof Dukes C 48.024 U/mL,of non-metastasis 19.501 U/mL,ofmetastasis 49.437 U/mE The mean tumor M_2-PK concentrationallowed a significant discrimination of colorectal cancers(30.588 U/mL) from controls (10.965 U/mL) (P<0.01),andgastric cancer (26.937 U/mL) from controls (10.965 U/mL)(P<0.05).The overall sensitivity of tumor M_2-PK for colorectalcancer was 68.52%,while that of CEA was 43.12%.Ingastric cancer,tumor M_2-PK showed a high sensitivity of50.47%,while CA72-4 showed a sensitivity of 35.37%. CONCLUSION: Tumor M_2-PK has a higher sensitivity thanmarkers CEA and CA72-4,and is a valuable tumor markerfor the detection of gastrointestinal cancer.     

Differences in plasma gastrin,CEA, and CA 19-9 concentration in patients with proximal and distal colorectal cancer

Summary Aim. We investigated whether there are differences in plasma gastrin, as compared with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen (CA) 19-9 between patients with proximal and distal colorectal cancer. Gastrin concentration has also been analyzed, dependent on the tumor stage, in order to evaluate the possible prognostic role of this measurement. Methods. In 50 patients with colon cancer-fasting gastrin, CA 19-9 and CEA levels were evaluated. Results. Mean plasma-gastrin level in patients with distal tumor yielded 105.31 ± 12.5 μU/L and was significantly higher than in patients with the proximal tumor site (42.2 ± 3.1 μU/L) as well as in controls (p<0.001). No significant difference was observed between mean plasma gastrin in patients with proximal tumors and the control group. The mean CEA plasma level was significantly higher (p<0.01) in patients with distal tumors (9.1 ± 1.1 ng/mL) than in those with proximal tumors (1.48 ± 0.1 ng/mL). Similarly, the mean CA 19-9 plasma level was significantly higher (p<0.01) in patients with distal tumor (19.9 ± 2.1 U/mL) than in those with proximal tumor: 1.8 ± 0.2 U/mL. The mean gastrin plasma, CA 19-9, and CEA level was significantly higher in group of Duke’s stage C and D as compared to A and B. Conclusion. We speculate that observed differences in gastrin concentration in patients with distal and proximal tumors may contribute to the distinct pathogenesis and biological properties of those cancers. The significance of gastrin as a marker for diagnostic or prognostic purposes in colorectal cancer requires further study.     

Cyst fluid analysis in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions: a pooled analysis

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cystic tumors commonly include serous cystadenoma (SCA), mucinous cystadenoma (MCA), and mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (MCAC). A differential diagnosis with pseudocysts (PC) can be difficult. Radiologic criteria are not reliable. The objective of the study is to investigate the value of cyst fluid analysis in the differential diagnosis of benign (SCA, PC) vs. premalignant or malignant (MCA, MCAC) lesions. METHODS: A search in PubMed was performed with the search terms cyst, pancrea, and fluid. Articles about cyst fluid analysis of pancreatic lesions that contained the individual data of at least 7 patients were included in the study. Data of all individual patients were combined and were plotted in scatter grams. Cutoff levels were determined. RESULTS: Twelve studies were included, which comprised data of 450 patients. Cysts with an amylase concentration <250 U/L were SCA, MCA, or MCAC (sensitivity 44%, specificity 98%) and, thus, virtually excluded PC. A carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) <5 ng/mL suggested a SCA or PC (sensitivity 50%, specificity 95%). A CEA >800 ng/mL strongly suggested MCA or MCAC (sensitivity 48%, specificity 98%). A carbohydrate-associated antigen (CA) 19-9 <37 U/mL strongly suggested PC or SCA (sensitivity 19%, specificity 98%). Cytologic examination revealed malignant cells in 48% of MCAC (n = 111). DISCUSSION: Most pancreatic cystic tumors should be resected without the need for cyst fluid analysis. However, in asymptomatic patients, in patients with an increased surgical risk, and, in patients in whom there is a diagnostic uncertainty about the presence of a PC, cyst fluid analysis helps to determine the optimal therapeutic strategy.     

Tumor type M2 pyruvate kinase expression in gastric cancer, colorectal cancer and controls

AIM: Tumor formation is generally linked to an expansion of glycolytic phosphometabolite pools and aerobic glycolytic flux rates. To achieve this, tumor cells generally overexpress a special glycolytic isoenzyme, termed pyruvate kinase type M2. The present study was designed to evaluate the use of a new tumor marker, tumor M2-PK, in discriminating gastrointestinal cancer patients from healthy controls, and to compare with the reference tumor markers CEA and CA72-4. METHODS: The concentration of tumor M2-PK in body fluids could be quantitatively determined by a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-kit (ScheBo(R) Tech, Giessen, Germany). By using this kit, the tumor M2-PK concentration was measured in EDTA-plasma of 108 patients. For the healthy blood donors a cut-off value of 15 U/mL was evaluated, which corresponded to 90% specificity. Overall 108 patients were included in this study, 54 patients had a histological confirmed gastric cancer, 54 patients colorectal cancer, and 20 healthy volunteers served as controls. RESULTS: The cut-off value to discriminate patients from controls was established at 15 U/mL for tumor M2-PK. The mean tumor M2-PK concentration of gastric cancer was 26.937 U/mL. According to the TNM stage system, the mean tumor M2-PK concentration of stage I was 16.324 U/mL, of stage II 15.290 U/mL, of stage Ⅲ 30.289 U/mL, of stage IV 127.31 U/mL, of non-metastasis 12.854 U/mL and of metastasis 35.711 U/mL. The mean Tumor M2-PK concentration of colorectal cancer was 30.588 U/mL. According to the Dukes stage system, the mean tumor M2-PK concentration of Dukes A was 16.638 U/mL, of Dukes B 22.070 U/mL, and of Dukes C 48.024 U/mL, of non-metastasis 19.501 U/mL, of metastasis 49.437 U/mL. The mean tumor M2-PK conoentration allowed a significant discrimination of colorectal cancers(30.588 U/mL) from controls (10.965 U/mL) (P&lt;0.01), and gastric cancer (26.937 U/mL) from controls (10.965 U/mL)(P&lt;0.05). The overall sensitivity of tumor M2-PK for colorectal cancer was 68.52%, while that of CEA was 43.12%. In gastric cancer, tumor M2-PK showed a high sensitivity of 50.47%, while CA72-4 showed a sensitivity of 35.37%. CONCLUSION: Tumor M2-PK has a higher sensitivity than markers CEA and CA72-4, and is a valuable tumor marker for the detection of gastrointestinal cancer.     

Role of serum carcinoembryonic antigen in the detection of colorectal cancer before and after surgical resection

AIM: To determine whether serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) correlate with the presence of primary colorectal cancer (CRC), and/or recurrent CRC following radical resection.METHODS: A total of 413 patients with CRC underwent radical surgery between January 1998 and December 2002 in our department and were enrolled in this study. The median follow-up period was 69 mo (range, 3-118 mo), and CRC recurrence was experienced by 90/413 (21.8%) patients. Serum levels of CEA were assayed preoperatively, and using a cutoff value of 5 ng/mL, patients were divided into two groups, those with normal serum CEA levels (e.g., ≤ 5 ng/mL) and those with elevated CEA levels (> 5 ng/mL).RESULTS: The overall sensitivity of CEA for the detection of primary CRC was 37.0%. The sensitivity of CEA according to stage, was 21.4%, 38.9%, and 41.7% for stages I-III, respectively. Moreover, for stage II and stage III cases, the 5-year disease-free survival rates were reduced for patients with elevated preoperative serum CEA levels (P < 0.05). The overall sensitivity of CEA for detecting recurrent CRC was 54.4%, and sensitivity rates of 36.6%, 66.7%, and 75.0% were associated with cases of local recurrence, single metastasis, and multiple metastases, respectively. In patients with normal serum levels of CEA preoperatively, the sensitivity of CEA for detecting recurrence was reduced compared with patients having a history of elevated CEA prior to radical resection (32.6% vs 77.3%, respectively, P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: CRC patients with normal serum CEA levels prior to resection maintained these levels during CRC recurrence, especially in cases of local recurrence vs cases of metastasis.     

EIA versus RIA in detecting carcinoembryonic antigen level of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Little literature exists comparing the differences between enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) in the detection of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Because EIA has the advantage of avoiding the use of radioisotopes, the potential of using EIA instead of RIA in detecting CEA of patients with colorectal cancer is of interest to us. METHODOLOGY: Between March and August 2001, a total of 120 blood specimens, including 60 specimens from patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and another 60 from patients with non-malignant diseases, were examined in this study. Serum CEA levels were examined by EIA and RIA methods in parallel. The CEA-EIA tests were done using EIA kits manufactured by Abbott Laboratories at Illinois in the United States. Comparison was done with the conventional CEA-RIA tests using RIA kits manufactured by CIS laboratory at France. The blood samples were sent to Veterans General Hospital-Taipei for EIA and RIA determination. The cut-off value for CEA was set at 5.0 ng/mL. RESULTS: The correlation between the Abbott-EIA and the CIS-RIA methods in detecting serum CEA levels was high. The results give a correlation coefficient of 0.992 with a linear regression line y=0.975 x + 0.215 (p<0.0001). Agreement in the Abbott-EIA and CIS-RIA tests in diagnosis was observed in 113 patients (94%), including 53 positive (>5 ng/mL) and 60 negative (<5 ng/mL) in both tests. The sensitivity was similar in both assays (83% vs. 80%) at a cut-off level of 5 ng/mL. The ability to discriminate between colorectal cancer and non-malignant diseases was good in both assays (p<0.001). The specificity and positive predictive value were slightly higher with the Abbott-EIA method compared with CIS-RIA assay (92% vs. 83% and 91% vs. 83%, respectively). The Abbott-EIA method achieved a similar diagnostic accuracy to CIS-RIA method (88% vs. 82%). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the Abbott-EIA has similar diagnostic power to CIS-RIA in the measurement of CEA levels of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, with an additional advantage of avoiding the use of radioisotopes. We believe that ELA has the potential to replace RIA in the measurement of CEA in clinical practice.     

Immunological fecal occult blood test vs. serum ferritin for detection of colorectal neoplasia in high risk asymptomatic population

Introduction: Fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) (biochemical or immunological) are based on the fact that most of the polyps or cancers bleed. Anemia due to iron deficiency is a wellknown sign for colorectal cancer (CRC). Ferritin is frequently used to select candidates for colonoscopy. Objective: To determine and compare the diagnostic value of immunological fecal occult blood test vs. ferritin for the detection of colorectal neoplasia (cancer or polyps) in high-risk patients. Methods: A transversal prospective study at National Cancer Institute, Mexico City, in consecutive asymptomatic subjects at high risk for CRC was performed, comparing two tests (immunological against serum ferritin) with colonoscopy plus histopathology. Both tests were performed in a blindly fashion previous to colonoscopy. Results: Fifty patients were included in the study; twenty-eight patients had colorectal neoplasia (21 CRC, 7 adenomas). All immunologic tests for fecaloccult blood were positive in patients with colorectal lesions (sensitivity, 98%). There was no difference between the mean ferritin levels in patients with CRC or adenomas vs. those with negative colonoscopy (p = 0.58). The cutoff point where significant relationship between serum ferritin levels and colon lesions was established was ?46 ng/mL. In anemic patients with serum ferritin levels <46 ng/mL, the test had a sensitivity 53%, specificity 86%, positive predictive value 83%, and negative predictive value of 59% (p = 0.003). Conclusions: The immunological FOBT is a better diagnostic tool than serum ferritin for screening of colonic neoplasms.     

联合检测肿瘤M2型丙酮酸激酶、CEA对并发胸腔积液的肺癌的诊断价值

目的检测胸腔积液中肿瘤M2型丙酮酸激酶（TumorM2-Pyruvate kinase,Tu M2-PK）和癌胚抗原（carcinoembbry-onicantigen,CEA）,探讨M2-PK和CEA在并发胸腔积液的肺癌患者的临床诊断价值。方法利用夹心ELISA法测定44例良性胸液和35例并发胸腔积液的肺癌患者的M2-PK,CEA值。比较两组之间的差异。结果肺癌并胸腔积液组M2-PK、CEA值分别为（28.45±8.63）U/m l,（19.55±12.93）ng/ml;良性胸液组M2-PK、CEA值分别为（19.48±6.75）U/mL,（7.79±4.47）ng/m l,恶性胸液组中M2-PK和CEA值均明显高于良性胸液组（P〈0.05）。联合检测的灵敏度为82.86%,特异度为63.64%,阳性预测值为64.44%及阴性预测值为82.35%。联合检测胸腔积液中的M2-PK和CEA能够显著提高并发胸腔积液患者的肺癌诊断水平。结论 M2-PK和CEA在恶性胸液组中明显升高,联合检测胸液中M2-PK和CEA可提高对并发胸腔积液的肺癌患者的诊断水平。     

Factors predicting long-term survival in colorectal cancer patients with a normal preoperative serum level of carcinoembryonic antigen

Purpose

The aim of this study was to determine which clinicopathological factors influenced the long-term survival after potentially curative resection of colorectal cancer patients with a normal preoperative serum level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).

Methods

A total of 1,732 patients who underwent curative surgery for primary nonmetastatic colorectal cancers from 1997 to 2009 were analyzed. Of these patients, 1,128 (65.1 %) had normal level of preoperative CEA (<5 ng/mL). The predicting factors for survival were analyzed.

Results

When the serum CEA cutoff value was set at 2.4 ng/mL (median value), the high CEA groups displayed a higher percentage of older patients, males, large-diameter tumors, advanced T and N categories, and positive perineural invasion, compared to the low CEA groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, T category, N category, number of lymph nodes retrieved, operative method, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, postoperative chemotherapy, and preoperative serum CEA level ≥ 2.4 ng/mL were independent predictors for 5-year overall survival, while tumor location, tumor size, T category, N category, lymphovascular invasion, and perineural invasion were independent predictors for 5-year disease-free survival.

Conclusions

Even if patients with colorectal cancer have a normal preoperative CEA before surgery, CEA may be useful for prognostic stratification using 2.4 ng/mL as the cutoff.     

联合检测对结核性和恶性胸腔积液的鉴别诊断价值

目的探讨联合检测胸腔积液中腺苷脱氨酶(ADA)、C反应蛋白(CRP)、癌胚抗原(CEA)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)对结核性和恶性胸腔积液的诊断价值。方法以我院2012年1月至2012年12月112例住院的胸腔积液患者为研究对象,其中62例结核性胸腔积液患者,50例恶性胸腔积液患者,以酶比色法,免疫比浊法,速率法和电化学发光法检测上述患者胸腔积液中ADA、CRP、CEA和LDH浓度。结果结核性胸腔积液患者ADA和CRP的诊断敏感性显著高于恶性胸腔积液患者(P0.01),恶性胸腔积液患者CEA的诊断敏感性较结核性胸腔积液患者明显增高(P0.01)。以胸腔积液CEA7 ng/ml及LDH245 U/L为诊断标准,诊断恶性胸腔积液的敏感性,特异性分别为78.0%,80.6%;而以CEA7 ng/ml,LDH245 U/L及ADA40 U/L,CRP5 mg/L为诊断标准,诊断恶性胸腔积液的敏感性,特异性分别为94.0%,95.2%。以胸腔积液ADA40 U/L,CRP5 mg/L为诊断标准,诊断结核性胸腔积液的敏感性,特异性分别为82.3%,86.0%;而以CEA7 ng/ml,LDH245 U/L及ADA4 0U/L,CRP5 mg/L为诊断标准,诊断结核性胸腔积液的敏感性,特异性分别为96.8%,92.0%。结论联合检测胸腔积液中ADA、CRP、CEA、LDH的浓度可提高结核性和恶性胸腔积液鉴别诊断的敏感性和特异性。     

Diagnostic value of the tumor markers TPA-M, CYPFRA 21-1 and CEA in pleural effusion. Prospective comparison of thoracoscopic investigations in patients with pleural effusion

The diagnostic value of tumour markers in pleural effusion is not yet clearly defined. CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen), CYFRA 21-1 (Cytokeratin 19-Fragment) and TPA-M, a new monoclonal-based radioimmunoassay for TPA (Tissue Polypeptide Antigen), were measured in pleural fluid and sera of 125 consecutive patients who underwent medical thoracoscopy. The group consisted of 79 patients with malignant and 45 with non-malignant pleural effusion and 1 patient without definitive diagnosis, and hence 124 patients were available for assessing the diagnostic value. In pleural fluid based on a specificity of 90% versus benign diseases the sensitivity for CEA was 52.5%; with the maximum achievable specificity of 80% for CYFRA 21-1 the sensitivity was 68% and for TPA-M with 67% the sensitivity was 67%. Based on the cut-off values for these specificities the combined use of the three tumour markers resulted in a sensitivity of 85.7% but with a lower specificity of 59.1%. There is only a limited value for tumour markers in the diagnosis of pleural effusion.     

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in diagnosis of cystic pancreatic lesions

Background and study aimspancreatic cysts are commonly found lesions and proper diagnosis is very important for planning further management. The study aims to evaluate the role of cyst fluid amylase and tumour markers as cancer antigen (CA 19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in addition to mucin stain in diagnosing pancreatic cysts and differentiating malignant from benign lesions.Patients and methodsThis prospective study was conducted on 184 patients diagnosed to have pancreatic cystic lesions from January 2013 to January 2018. Fluid analysis for CA 19-9, CEA, amylase, mucin stain and cytopathology were done. We compared these data with the final diagnosis based on histopathology after surgical resection, positive cytopathology and long period of follow up of the patients for at least 18 months.ResultsThe highest AUC was that of cystic CEA with cut-off value of 160 ng/ml; it had a sensitivity of 60.4% and a specificity of 85%. The best cut-off value for cystic CA 19-9 was 1318 U/ml with a sensitivity of 64.1% and a specificity of 68.1%. The cut-off value of cyst amylase level was 5500 U/L, with 84.2% sensitivity and 37.1% specificity. The sensitivity of mucin stain in detecting mucinous cystic neoplasm was 85.45%, specificity was 86.05% with accuracy 85.87%.ConclusionCyst fluid analysis by investigating amylase, mucin, CA 19-9, CEA and EUS examination improves the diagnosis of different pancreatic cysts.     

Biliary carcinoembryonic antigen levels in diagnosis of occult hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma

AIM: To prospectively explore the role of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in gallbladder bile in patients with colorectal carcinoma and the morphological and clinical features of neoplasia and the occurrence of hepatic metastases. METHODS: CEA levels in the gallbladder and peripheral blood were studied in 44 patients with colorectal carcinoma and 10 patients with uncomplicated cholelithiasis. CEA samples were collected from the gallbladder bile and peripheral blood during the operation, immediately before extirpating the colorectal neoplasia or cholecystectomy. Values of up to 5 ng/ml were considered normal for bile and serum CEA. RESULTS: In the 44 patients with colorectal carcinoma who underwent operation with curative intent, the average level of serum CEA was 8.5 ng/ml (range: 0.1 to 111.0 ng/ml) and for bile CEA it was 74.5 ng/ml (range: 0.2 to 571.0 ng/ml). In the patients with uncomplicated cholelithiasis who underwent cholecystectomy, the average level of serum CEA was 1.9 ng/ml (range: 1.0 to 3.5 ng/ml) and for bile CEA it was 1.2 ng/ml (range: 0.3 to 2.9 ng/ml). The average duration of follow-up time was 16.5 months (range: 6 to 48 months). Four patients who underwent extirpation of the colorectal carcinoma without evidence of hepatic metastasis and with an average bile CEA value of 213.2 ng/ml presented hepatic metastases between three and seventeen months after removal of the primary colorectal neoplasia. Three of them successfully underwent extirpation of the hepatic lesions. CONCLUSION: High CEA levels in gallbladders of patients undergoing curative operation for colorectal carcinoma may indicate the presence of hepatic metastases. Such patients must be followed up with special attention to the diagnosis of such lesions.     

术前血清 CEA 最佳预测值对早期肺癌患者术后的复发转移价值简

目的 探讨血清CEA最佳预测值对早期肺癌患者术后的复发转移价值.方法 收集在我院接受手术治疗并定期复查的早期肺癌,利用ROC曲线获得最佳CEA值,利用SPSS软件分析CEA在肺癌术后复发转移预测中的价值.结果 231 例Ⅰ期患者局部复发与远处转移47 例,复发转移率为20.3%（47/231）;整体人群的中位随访时间43.1月（9.5~97.2）月;其中腺癌181例,鳞癌50例.利用ROC曲线,腺癌患者中CEA取最佳预测值为2.47 ng/ml.患者术前CEA〉2.47 ng/ml与肿瘤低分化、最大径〉3 cm、脉管癌栓相关（P〈0.05）,术前CEA〉2.47 ng/ml是一个独立的危险复发转移因素（P=0.022）;鳞癌患者中CEA的最佳预测值为1.91 ng/ml,患者术前CEA〉1.91 ng/ml与年龄显著相关（P〈0.05）,术前CEA〉1.91 ng/ml是一个独立的危险复发转移因素（P=0.04）.结论 即使患者术前CEA值低于正常值（5 ng/ml）,术前CEA值在预测患者复发转移风险时也应考虑在内.     

CEA、CY211、NSE、Ca125联合诊断肺癌的ROC曲线分析

目的探讨癌胚抗原(CEA)、细胞角蛋白19片段(CY211)、神经元特异性烯醇化酶(NSE)、糖类抗原125(CA125)联合用于肺癌诊断的价值。 方法选取我院2018年10月至2019年6月收治的肺癌患者140例作为肺癌组,选取同期收治的良性肺病患者136例作为对照组。比较两组血清CEA、CY211、NSE、CA125水平,绘制受试者工作特征曲线(ROC)分析各指标单独与联合检测对肺癌的诊断价值,确定曲线下面积(AUC)、最佳界值与相应的灵敏度、特异度。以病理诊断为金标准,经Kappa检验分析四项指标联合诊断肺癌与病理诊断的一致性,并分析灵敏度、特异度、符合率、阳性预测值、阴性预测值。 结果肺癌组血清CEA、CY211、NSE、CA125含量显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。血清CEA、CY211、NSE、CA125含量诊断肺癌的AUC分别为0.773、0.762、0.753、0.801,四项联合诊断的AUC为0.906。以血清CEA>7.965 ng/ml、CY211>7.960 ng/ml、NSE>28.025 ng/ml、CA125>22.065 U/ml时,发生肺癌风险越高。以病理诊断为金标准,提示四项指标联合诊断肺癌的灵敏度为90.00%,特异度为91.18%,符合率为90.58%,阳性预测值为90.00%,阴性预测值为91.18%,经Kappa检验其与病理诊断一致性为0.812(高度一致性)。 结论与肺良性病者相比,肺癌患者的血清CEA、CY211、NSE、CA125含量明显增高,且四者均对肺癌诊断具有一定价值,四项联合诊断的效果最佳,与病理诊断一致性较好。