Pancreatic juice 90K and serum CA 19-9 combined determination can discriminate between pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
Differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer versus chronic pancreatitis may be difficult. The aim of this study is to determine whether a group of tumor-associated antigens could differentiate between the two pathologies.


METHODS
CA 19-9, TAG-72, CAR-3, and a newly discovered antigen termed "90K" were determined in the serum and in the pancreatic juice of 19 patients with pancreatic cancer, 20 patients with chronic pancreatitis, and seven controls with lithiasis of extrapancreatic bile ducts.


RESULTS
The serum antigen levels of all three markers except 90K were significantly higher in pancreatic cancer than in chronic pancreatitis. High correlations were found between serum CA 19-9 and both TAG-72 and CAR-3. 90K did not correlate with other markers. In pancreatic juice, only 90K values were significantly higher in chronic pancreatitis than in pancreatic cancer, and only 90K and CA 19-9 were significantly correlated. At the stepwise discriminant analysis, serum CA 19-9 and pancreatic juice 90K had independent diagnostic roles. Used in combination, they correctly identified 84.2% of pancreatic cancer and 90% of chronic pancreatitis.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that pancreatic juice 90K and serum CA 19-9 can discriminate between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. The data further support the complementary use of tumor-associated antigens along with other diagnostic tools.
Gentiloni
N
N
Istituto Clinica Medica, Universitá Cattolica S. Cuore, Roma, Italy.
Caradonna
P
P
Costamagna
G
G
D'Ostilio
N
N
Perri
V
V
Mutignani
M
M
Febbraro
S
S
Tinari
N
N
Iacobelli
S
S
Natoli
C
C
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D010189:Pancreatic Juice / Q000737:chemistry; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008074:Lipoproteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C068379:CAR-3 antigen; C081856:LGALS3BP protein, human; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; C047052:tumor-associated antigen 72