Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Circulating carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): Relationship to clinical status of patients with inflammatory bowel disease

“…While patients with 2-5-5 ng/ml are in a range similar to patients with primary adenocarcinomas of the colon, it is also the range for greatest variability in the interpretation of the significance of CEA radioimmunoassay . In support of recent findings of Moore et al (1972) those data suggest that a single measurement of CEA cannot be indicative of cancer prognosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. On the other hand, sequential CEA assays must be followed for increasing or persisting CEA levels to interpret any initial findings correctly, especially since Moore et al (1972) did not find any case of persisting antigenaemia in inflammatory bowel disease except in the presence of colonic adenocarcinoma.…”

“…Among patients with no surgery or subtotal colectomy, the results were the same with either ulcerative or granulomatous disease; the group undergoing total colectomy comprised only patients with ulcerative colitis. (1971), 12% by Moore et al (1972), and 35% by Snyder and Miller (1973). Development of CEA radioimmunoassays had given rise to the hope for earlier detection of cancer for some patients at high risk for colonic cancer, namely those with inflammatory bowel disease (Thompson et al, 1969;LoGerfo et al, 1971).…”

“…While the specificity of the original CEA radioimmunoassay has been questioned, its use as a prognostic tool following surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy in patients with cancer of the gut is widely accepted. Rising levels of circulating CEA are associated with primary or disseminating malignancy of poor prognosis (Reynoso et al, 1972;Zamcheck, Moore, Dhar, and Kupchik, 1972;Moore, Kantrowitz, and Zamcheck, 1972;Dhar, Moore, Zamcheck, and Kupchik, 1972).…”

Studies of carcinoembryonic antigen of whole and extracted serum in ulcerative colitis

“…This level appeared to differentiate patients with 'active' and 'inactive' ulcerative colitis. Limited data from sequential testing, from this study and that of Moore et al (1972), indicate that CEA levels, particularly using whole serum, could prove useful in assessing the degree of remission of ulcerative colitis induced by antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs.…”

“…Using plasma which received prior treatment with perchloric acid, Lo Gerfo, Krupey, and Hansen (1971) and Rule, Straus, Vandevoorde, and Janowitz (1972) found CEA in 30% of patients with ulcerative colitis whereas, using serum similarly treated, Zamcheck, Moore, Dhar, and Kupchik (1972) failed to detect CEA in patients with uncomplicated ulcerative colitis, and Moore, Kantrowitz, and Zamcheck (1972) found only transient positivity in six of 60 cases. Differences in case selection and varying degrees of disease activity or in methodology have been considered as factors to explain this difference.…”