CA19-9 as a non-invasive marker for disease activity in Hepatitis B patients: is there any role?
The combined elevation of tumor markers carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA 125) has been shown to be associated with the severity of liver fibrosis in patients with liver disease. We assessed the association between CA 19-9 and viral hepatitis B activity which wil...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2010
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/23085/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/23085/1/p361.pdf |
| Summary: | The combined elevation of tumor markers carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) and carbohydrate
antigen 125 (CA 125) has been shown to be associated with the severity of liver fibrosis in patients with
liver disease. We assessed the association between CA 19-9 and viral hepatitis B activity which will allow
us to know the usefulness of CA 19-9 as a surrogate marker for the disease activity in hepatitis B patients.
Methods: A prospective study involving 60 patients with hepatitis B surface antigen positive carrier
was performed. These patients were divided into 2 groups according to HBeAg positivity. Tumor marker
CA 19-9 was determined using routine laboratory methods and correlated with the disease activity by
measuring hepatitis B viral DNA (HBV DNA) and serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate
transaminase (AST) levels.
Results: Eleven (18%) were HBeAg positive and 49 (82%) were HBeAg negative. The mean (standard
deviation) age in the former group was 40.7 (11.7) years and in the latter group was 40.8 (12.5) years (p =
0.98). There was no significance difference between the two groups with respect to the levels of serum
ALT/AST, HBV DNA and CA 19-9. There was no significant correlation seen between CA 19-9 and
serum ALT/AST. It was the same with the levels of HBV DNA.
Discussions and conclusion: The use of CA 19-9 as a non-invasive marker for disease activity in
patients with hepatitis B infection was not useful. There was no role of CA 19-9 in hepatitis B patients to
assess the disease activity. |
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