title: Relationship between serum calcium and CA 19-9 levels in colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the calcium metabolism of colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients with colorectal cancer and control patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy newly diagnosed CRC patients were included. The healthy control group was age and gender matched (n=32). Particular attention was devoted to the relationship between serum calcium of patients, and levels of AFP, CEA, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) (that could be considered as prognostic factors). Furthermore, the Ca-sensing receptor (CaSR) gene A986S polymorphism was investigated in these patients, as well as the relationship between different CaSR genotypes and the data stated above.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A lower level of ionized calcium (also corrected for albumin) was found in the serum of CRC patients with normal 25(OH) vitamin D levels. The ionized calcium concentration was inversely correlated with the serum level of CA 19-9. There was no difference in the distribution of CaSR genotypes, between CRC patients and general population. The genotypes did not correlate with other data examined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these results, lower levels of serum calcium might be a pathogenic and prognostic factor in colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1083 Budapest, Koronyi S. u. 2/a, Hungary. fuszpet@bel1.sote.hu
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fuszek
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lakatos
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabak
authors.forename: Janos
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Papp
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Istvan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takacs
authors.forename: Henrik Csaba
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Horvath
authors.forename: Peter Laszlo
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lakatos
authors.forename: Gabor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Speer
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005838:Genotype; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing; D002118:Calcium