title: [Concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of asthmatic patients with mucoid impaction].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Concentration of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is known as a marker of malignant transformation and chronic inflammation. We recently observed increased levels of serum CEA in a patient with asthma accompanied by mucoid impactions, which dramatically decreased after a sequence of bronchial washings. The present study evaluated relationships between levels of CEA, bronchial asthma and mucoid impactions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum CEA concentrations were determined by chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) or enzyme immunoassay in 44 subjects, comprising 9 asthmatic patients with mucoid impactions, 13 asthmatic patients without mucoid impactions, 12 patients with bronchiectasis, and 10 healthy volunteers. CEA concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined in 5 asthmatic patients with mucoid impactions and 10 healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum concentrations of CEA were significantly increased in asthmatic patients with mucoid impactions compared with patients without mucoid impactions, patients with bronchiectasis, or healthy volunteers (median [range], 17.3 ng/ml [2.8-28.8 ng/ml]; 3.0 ng/ml [1.5-7.1 ng/ml], 2.2 ng/ml [0.9-17.9 ng/ml], and 1.9 ng/ml [0.6-2.9 ng/ml], respectively). Concentrations of CEA in BALF were also significantly increased in asthmatic patients with mucoid impactions compared to healthy volunteers (3.2 ng/ml albumin [1.2-12.4 ng/ml albumin] vs. 0.4 ng/ml albumin [0.2-1.9 ng/ml albumin]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that bronchial asthma with mucoid impactions is among several pathogeneses that cause increased levels of CEA in serum and BALF.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hizawa
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Katsura
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Eiki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suko
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000150:complications*; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000276:immunology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen