HIGH SERUM CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CONCENTRATION IN PATIENTS WITH COLORECTAL LIVER METASTASES IS ASSOCIATED WITH POOR CELL-MEDIATED-IMMUNITY, WHICH IS PREDICTIVE OF SURVIVAL
J. King et al., HIGH SERUM CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CONCENTRATION IN PATIENTS WITH COLORECTAL LIVER METASTASES IS ASSOCIATED WITH POOR CELL-MEDIATED-IMMUNITY, WHICH IS PREDICTIVE OF SURVIVAL, British Journal of Surgery, 84(10), 1997, pp. 1382-1385
Background Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) inhibits lymphocyte function
and patients with cancer have lower cell-mediated immunity (CMI) than
the normal population. To test this association an investigation was
made of the relationship between CMI score, CEA level and survival. Me
thods CEA level, CMI score and other variables were compared with the
survival time of 109 patients with colorectal liver metastases using C
ox regression analysis. Results There was a significant association be
tween CMI and CEA categories (P = 0.04, chi(2) test). The odds of pati
ents with normal CMI having a CEA level in the upper quartile observed
for all patients were 22 per cent of those of patients with depressed
CMI (odds ratio 0.22 (95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 0.03-0.9
0), mid-P corrected). The median survival time of patients with normal
CMI scores was 943 days compared with 488 days for those with depress
ed CMI (P = 0.03, log rank test; P = 0.03, Peto). The mortality risk o
f patients with normal CMI at entry to the study was, in the first 2 y
ears of treatment, 40 per cent of that of patients with depressed CMI
(95 per cent c.i. for relative risk 0.20-0.82, Cox regression). Conclu
sion In patients with colorectal hepatic metastases, CMI is predictive
of survival and a raised serum CEA level is associated with depressed
CMI.