[Value of tumor markers in the cerebrospinal fluid in the diagnosis of meningeal carcinomatosis].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the diagnostic value of tumor markers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for meningeal carcinomatosis (MC).


METHODS
Twenty-one MC patients (including 13 adenocarcinoma and 8 non-adenocarcinoma patients), 72 patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and 23 with primary intracerebral tumors (PIT) were enrolled in this study. Blood and CSF tumor markers including CEA, CA125, CA15-3, CA19-9, CA72-4, CYFRA21-1, AFP and NSE were measured by Roche E170 electrochemiluminescence analyzer and sandwich assay.


RESULTS
CSF tumor markers CEA, CA125, CA199 and CYFRA21-1 and the serum tumor markers CEA, CA125, CA153, CA199 and AFP were significantly higher in MC group than in the other two groups. CSF CEA and CA15-3 were significantly higher in adenocarcinoma MC than in non-adenocarcinoma MC patients, but no significant differences were found in the serum tumor markers between the two groups (P>0.05). CSF tumor markers including CEA, CA125, CA15-3, CA72-4 and CYFRA21-1 were positively correlated to the serum tumor markers (P<0.05). CA199 was positively correlated to the disease course (P<0.05), and age was not correlated to any of the indexes (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Detection of the tumor markers in the CSF, especially CEA, CA125, CA19-9 and CYFRA21-1, may help in the early diagnosis of MC. CEA and CA15-3 can serve as indicators for differential diagnosis of adenocarcinoma and non-adenocarcinoma.
Shi
Qiang
Q
Department of Neurology, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100853, China. shiq301@sina.com
Pu
Chuan-qiang
CQ
Wu
Wei-ping
WP
Huang
Xu-sheng
XS
Yu
Sheng-yuan
SY
Tian
Cheng-lin
CL
Huang
De-hui
DH
Zhang
Jia-tang
JT
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053539:Keratin-19 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D053539:Keratin-19; C451759:MUC16 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C102012:antigen CYFRA21.1