title: Serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in patients with bipolar disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is an oncofetal glycoprotein that is widely used as a tumour marker in adenocarcinomas. However, several non-neoplastic conditions, including acute and chronic inflammation and other inflammation-related conditions, are characterised by increased CEA concentrations. Bipolar disorder (BD) ranks seventh among the worldwide burden of non-fatal diseases. Inflammatory biomarkers have been considered as one of the main key pillars of a multifactorial approach for prediction of BD in an at-risk population. BP is accompanied by activation of inflammatory, cell-mediated and negative immunoregulatory cytokines.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured the levels of CEA in serum samples from 44 individuals with euthymic BP out-patients and 45 healthy controls. Patients were diagnosed according to the DSM-IV criteria. CEA was measured by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum CEA concentration was 2.36±1.52 and 1.77±0.98 µg/l in patients and controls, respectively. CEA levels were significantly increased in euthymic BP patients when compared with controls (p=0.031).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that CEA is increased in BD and supports a role for immune activation in the core pathological mechanisms of BP. CEA levels may be a secondary marker for diagnosing BP.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty,Dicle University,Diyarbakır,Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty,Dicle University,Diyarbakır,Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bulut
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty,Dicle University,Diyarbakır,Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atli
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty,Dicle University,Diyarbakır,Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Güneş
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty,Dicle University,Diyarbakır,Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Cemal
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty,Dicle University,Diyarbakır,Turkey.
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Çolpan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen
keywords: CEA; bipolar disorder; proinflammatory cytokines