The significance of serum tumor markers in patients with chronic hepatitis B infected liver diseases

Objective To study the significance of serum tumor markers( including AFP,CA125,CA199,CEA) among different stages of chronic hepatitis B virus( HBV) infection,i. e chronic hepatitis,cirrhosis and hepatocelluar carcinoma. Methods We used electrochemiluminescence to measure serum AFP,CA125,CA19- 9 and CEA in 129 patients infected by HBV( chronic hepatitis 41 cases; liver cirrhosis 39 cases,of which compensatory cirrhosis 14 and decompensate cirrhosis 25 cases respectively; hepatocellular carcinoma 49 cases) and 50 healthy subjects. Results Average AFP were 4. 35 ng / ml,5. 78 ng / ml and 60. 21 ng / ml and CEA were 1. 51 ng / ml,1. 92 ng / ml and 2. 45 ng / ml in hepatitis,cirrhosis and carcinoma groups respectively. AFP and CEA in patients with carcinoma group were significantly higher than those of other groups( P 0. 05). Both tumor markers increased with the severity of diseases. Liver cirrhotic patients had the highest level of CA125 in all groups( P 0. 05). In cirrhotic patients,those who had medium- large ascites had significantly higher CA125 than those patients who had mild asctites. For cirrhotic patients,serum CA125 and CEA positively correlated with MELD score( Spearman R = 0. 62,P 0. 05; Spearman R = 0.36,P 0. 05),but CA19- 9 and AFP had no linear correlation with MELD score( P 0. 05). Moreover,CA125 had an obvious linear correlation with Child- Pugh score( Spearman R = 0. 84,P 0. 05),but other markers had no correlation at all( P 0. 05). Conclusion For patients chronically infected by HBV,serum CA125 positively correlates with the amount of ascites. More importantly,CA125 and CEA increases with the severity of liver diseases,which suggests CA125 and CEA are candidate marker for monitor of ascites and predictive of prognosis.