title: CA19-9: a possible serum marker for embryonal carcinoma.
abstract: We determined whether a carbohydrate antigen in serum, CA19-9, serves as a marker for embryonal carcinoma. Serum CA19-9 was serially measured in 18 male patients with a germ cell tumor. Five of 8 patients with an embryonal carcinoma had an elevated serum CA19-9. The elevated serum CA19-9 returned to normal in parallel to the clinical response to the treatment. Patients with a seminoma had a normal serum CA19-9 irrespective of their tumor size. Paraffin-embedded specimens of germ cell tumors from 9 of the 18 patients and 10 other patients were stained with the monoclonal antibody against CA19-9. These immunohistochemical stainings showed that embryonal carcinomas and mature teratomas were consistently positive and seminomas were often faintly positive for CA19-9, whereas choriocarcinomas, yolk sac tumors and immature teratomas were negative for CA19-9. These results indicate that serum CA19-9 may be a useful serum marker for embryonal carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuruta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D018236:Carcinoma, Embryonal / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D009919:Orchiectomy; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen