title: Adiponectin as a potential differential marker to distinguish pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis.
abstract: Serum adiponectin (ADP) levels are reported inversely related to the risk in breast, endometrial cancer, and gastric cancer. Serum ADP as a potential marker compared with CA-19-9 in pancreatic carcinoma (PC) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) was studied. Adiponectin and CA-19-9 levels were examined at the time of diagnosis in patients with CP and PC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum ADP and CA-19-9 levels were measured by immunoassays in 72 patients with PC and 39 with CP and 290 control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median levels of ADP for PC were significantly higher than those for CP and control subjects (P = 0.0035). Increasing the upper reference value of ADP allowed for better discrimination between CP and PC. The introduction of 28 ng/mL as a cutoff for ADP significantly improved its specificity. At an elevated cutoff level for ADP (28 ng/mL), a better discrimination between PC and CP was obtained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adiponectin might be useful in the differential diagnosis of PC and CP with elevated CA-19-9. This gives rise to the possibility that ADP has a potential role in differentiating CP and PC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Chu
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yu-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ta-Chen
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Wei-Shiung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chi-Ling
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yu-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Tien
authors.forename: Po-Chin
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Shu-Chen
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jau-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019540:Area Under Curve; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen