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Clinical implication of elevated CA 19-9 level and the relationship with glucose control state in patients with type 2 diabetes

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Abstract

The aim is to investigate whether there is a difference in CA 19-9 levels between diabetes and healthy subjects except malignancies and associated factors with CA 19-9 in diabetes. We performed a retrospective analysis in 146 type 2 diabetes and 154 healthy subjects who visited our medical institution from 2005 to 2009. We compared the CA 19-9 in each group, and analyzed clinical and biochemical variables in diabetes. The average value of CA 19-9 in diabetes was higher than that of healthy subjects significantly (14.1 vs 8.1 U/mL, p < 0.01). CA 19-9 had a positive correlation with HbA1c (r = 0.22), fasting plasma glucose (r = 0.24), and C-reactive protein (r = 0.38) in diabetes (p < 0.05). 48 type 2 diabetes who showed decreased CA 19-9 during follow-up of 1.8 ± 1.0 years were also improved in glucose control state. The proportion of insulin use for glucose control was significantly higher in the group of CA 19-9 ≥ 37 U/mL (75.0 %) as compared with the group of CA 19-9 < 37 U/mL (34.0 %). CA 19-9 was significantly higher in the patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) as compared with those without DPN (p = 0.02). However, after excluding the influences from glycemic control state, significant difference was not observed. Our results indicate not only that CA 19-9 is influenced by glycemic control state but also can be elevated irrespective of any malignancy in diabetes. Therefore, CA 19-9 should be interpreted carefully in diabetic patients when CA 19-9 is used as the tool for malignancy screening.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University—Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Gungiro 20 (634-18, Keum-Am Dong), Deok Jin Gu, Jeonju, 561-712, South Korea

    Sun Hee Kim, Cho-ok Baek, Kyung Ae Lee, Tae Sun Park, Hong Sun Baek & Heung Yong Jin

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  1. Sun Hee Kim
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  2. Cho-ok Baek
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Correspondence to Heung Yong Jin.

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Kim, S.H., Baek, Co., Lee, K.A. et al. Clinical implication of elevated CA 19-9 level and the relationship with glucose control state in patients with type 2 diabetes. Endocrine 46, 249–255 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-013-0058-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-013-0058-0

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