title: Role of serum total sialic acid in differentiating cholangiocarcinoma from hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to evaluate the clinical application of serum total sialic acid (TSA) in the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum TSA was determined by periodate-resorcinol microassay in 69 patients with CCA, 59 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 37 patients with cirrhosis, 61 patients with chronic hepatitis and 50 healthy blood donors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum TSA concentration in CCA (2.41+/-0.70 mmol/L) was significantly higher than those of HCC, cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis and healthy blood donors (1.41+/-0.37 mmol/L, 1.13+/-0.31 mmol/L, 1.16+/-0.26 mmol/L, and 1.10+/-0.14 mmol/L, respectively; P<0.001). Based on ROC curve analysis, a cut-off point of 1.75 mmol/L discriminated between CCA and HCC with a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 82.6 %, 83.1 %, and 82.8 %, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our results, serum TSA would be a useful marker for the differential diagnosis of CCA from HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
authors.forename: Prachya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kongtawelert
authors.forename: Pisit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tangkijvanich
authors.forename: Siriwan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ong-Chai
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Poovorawan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid