Serum tumor marker CA19-9 in the follow-up of patients with cystic echinococcosis

Yuksel, Bulent C.; Yıldız, Yiğit; Ozturk, Bulent; Berkem, Huseyin; Katman, Unal; Ozel, Hakan; Hengirmen, Suleyman

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2007.02.024

« Previous Next »The American Journal of Surgery
Volume 195, Issue 4 , Pages 452-456, April 2008

Serum tumor marker CA19-9 in the follow-up of patients with cystic echinococcosis

Bulent C. Yuksel, M.D.
- First Department of Surgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, 06100, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +011-90 0 312 280 70 38; fax: +011-90 0 312 418 27 60.
Yiğit Yıldız, M.D.
- First Department of Surgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, 06100, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey
Bulent Ozturk, M.D.
- Diyarbakir State Hospital, Central Biochemistry Laboratory, Diyarbakir, Turkey
Huseyin Berkem, M.D.
- First Department of Surgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, 06100, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey
Unal Katman, M.D.
- First Department of Surgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, 06100, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey
Hakan Ozel, M.D.
- First Department of Surgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, 06100, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey
Suleyman Hengirmen, M.D.
- First Department of Surgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, 06100, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey

Received 10 January 2007; received in revised form 23 February 2007 published online 17 December 2007.

Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to compare results of the determination of carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigens, alpha-fetoprotein, and human chorionic gonadotropin before and after surgical and pharmacologic treatment in patients with cystic echinococcosis (CE).

Methods

Serum samples were obtained from 40 CE patients (all with cysts in the liver) and from 10 sex- and age-matched healthy donors (control group). Serum samples were drawn (1) before (presurgical group) and after (postsurgical group, including a 3-month cycle of albendazole) surgical and pharmacologic treatment. Serum tumor markers were measured, and indirect hemaglutination assay was performed.

Results

In 90% of confirmed cases of CE, indirect hemaglutination assay was positive. Mean (SD) serum CA19-9 concentrations for all patients in the presurgical and postsurgical groups were 45.1 ± 30 kU/L and 17.02 ± 11 kU/L, respectively. CA19-9 concentrations were significantly greater in CE patients in the presurgical compared with the control group. Also, increased CA19-9 concentrations decreased significantly in the postsurgical compared with the presurgical group.

Conclusions

A significant decrease in serum CA19-9 concentrations after surgical and pharmacologic therapy was demonstrated in the clinical follow-up of patients with CE (patients were tested 3 months after surgery). If our findings are confirmed and more-sensitive methods are developed for measuring serum CA19-9 concentrations, new and interesting perspectives will be gained for the monitoring and treatment of patients with CE.

Keywords: CA19-9, Cystic echinococcosis, Tumor markers