[Concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of asthmatic patients with mucoid impaction].
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.
Maeda
Yukiko
Y
First Department of Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine.
Hizawa
Nobuyuki
N
Fukui
Yoshinobu
Y
Nagai
Katsura
K
Kikuchi
Eiki
E
Takahashi
Daisuke
D
Harada
Toshiyuki
T
Suko
Noriaki
N
Nishimura
Masaharu
M
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*
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen