Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Nov 27, 2022; 14(11): 1272-1284
Published online Nov 27, 2022. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v14.i11.1272
Table 1 Demographic characteristics
Parameters
GBC, n = 80
Benign GB disease, n = 120
Total, n = 200
P value
Age, yr (n = 200)57.0 (50.2-66.5)47.0 (34.0-56.0)52.0 (41.0-60.0)< 0.001
Sex (n = 200), n (%)0.951
Men27 (33.8)41 (34.2)68 (34.0)
Women53 (66.3)79 (65.8)132 (66.0)
BMI in kg/m2, (mean)27.06 ± 4.4626.50 ± 5.626.8 ± 4.980.229
Hemoglobin in g/dL11.8 (10.8-12.6)11.6 (10.2-12.8)11.75 (10.6-12.70)0.523
TLC in cells/μL8075.0 (6759.0-9801.0)7830.0 (6705.0-8800.0)7846.0 (6745.0-9440.0)0.094
Lymphocytes in cells/μL27.4 (21.2-31.0)26.9 (22.0-31.0)27.0 (22.0-31.0)0.421
Monocytes in cells/mm35.7 (3.4-7.9)6.0 (4.0-7.0)6.0 (4.0-7.30)0.604
Neutrophils in cells/mm363.1 (58.2-69.6)63.0 (59.0-67.0)63.0 (58.92-67.77)0.816
Eosinophils, %3.0 (1.2-4.0)3.5 (2.0-4.4)3.0 (2.0-4.10)0.023
Basophils in cells/μL0.5 (0.3-1.0)0.4 (0.1-1.0)0.50 (0.20-1.0)0.351
Bilirubin in mg/dL
Total0.9 (0.6-1.2)0.8 (0.6-1.1)0.87 (0.64-1.12)0.251
Direct0.3 (0.2-0.5)0.3 (0.2-0.5)0.30 (0.20-0.52)0.621
Indirect0.6 (0.4-0.7)0.4 (0.3-0.6)0.50 (0.36-0.65)0.015
ALP in IU/L119.5 (80.5-163.2)109.0 (76.2-136.2)111.0 (78.0-146.50)0.019
SGOT in U/L34.0 (27.2-43.0)28.0 (24.0-34.0)31.0 (25.0-36.0)0.001
SGPT in U/L27.0 (21.0-36.5)23.0 (21.0-30.5)24.0 (21.0-34.0)0.012
INR1.1 (1.0-1.1)1.1 (1.0-1.1)1.12 (1.10-1.12)0.158
Serum creatinine in mg/dL0.8 (0.7-0.9)0.8 (0.7-0.9)0.80 (0.68-0.97)0.459
BUN in mg/dL12.3 (9.0-14.4)12.3 (9.9-14.5)12.30 (5.0-12.0)0.479
GB wall thickness in mm12.0 (9.2-15.1)6.0 (4.0-8.0)8.0 (5.0-12.0)< 0.001
Table 2 Association of tumor markers with benign gallbladder disease and gallbladder cancer
All parameters
Benign, n = 120
Carcinoma, n = 80
P value
CA 19-9 in U/mL3.1 (1.4-19.4)112.9 (23.3-318.8)< 0.001
CA 19-9, n (%)
Normal108 (90.0)23 (28.7)< 0.001
Elevated12 (10.0)57 (71.3)
CA 125 in U/mL8.6 (3.1-15.1)24.5 (12.0-53.3)< 0.001
CA 125, n (%)
Normal112 (93.3)49 (61.3)< 0.001
Elevated8 (6.7)31 (38.8)
CEA in µg/L2.3 (1.2-3.1)3.1 (1.8-4.5)< 0.003
CEA, n (%)
Normal114 (94)60 (75)< 0.003
Elevated 6 (5.9)20 (25)
CA 242 in U/mL2.8 (1.5-9.8)55.5 (32.7-96.5)< 0.001
CA 242, n (%)
Normal108 (90.0)11 (13.7)< 0.001
Elevated12 (10.0)69 (86.3)
Table 3 Association between tumor markers and clinical characteristics
CharacteristicsCA 19-9
P value
CA 125
P value
CEA
P value
CA 242
P value
Normal, n = 131
Elevated, n = 69
Normal, n = 161
Elevated, n = 39
Normal, n = 181
Elevated, n = 19
Normal, n = 119
Elevated,n = 81
Age, yr49.0 (39.0-59.0)55.0 (45.0-63.5)0.00950.0 (39.0-59.0)56.0 (50.0-69.0)0.00150.0 (40.0-59.5)56.0 (45.0-65.0)0.09348.0 (34.0-56.0)56.0 (47.5-64.5)< 0.001
Sex
Male46 (35.1)22 (31.9)0.75451 (31.7)17 (43.6)0.11262 (34.3)6 (31.6)> 0.0541 (34.5)27 (33.3)0.881
Female85 (64.9)47 (68.1)110 (68.3)22 (56.4)119 (65.7)13 (68.4)78 (65.5)54 (66.7)
Gallstones
Absent12 (9.2)10 (14.5)0.18119 (11.8)3 (7.7)0.57821 (11.6)1 (5.3)0.7017 (5.9)15 (18.5)0.010
Present119 (90.8)59 (85.5)142 (88.2)36 (92.3)160 (88.4)18 (94.7)112 (94.1)66 (81.5)
Table 4 Analyses of the sensitivity of tumor markers in different stages of gallbladder cancer
Clinical stages
Patients, n = 80
CA 19-9
CEA
CA 125
CA 242
I15 (18.6)10 (66.7)1 (6.7)5 (33.3)13 (86.7)
IIA13 (16.3)12 (92.3)1 (7.7)5 (38.5)12 (92.3)
IIB4 (5.0)4 (100.0)02 (50.0)4 (100.0)
IIIA4 (5.0)4 (100.0)02 (50.0)4 (100.0)
IIIB44 (55.0)27 (61.3)8 (18.1)17 (38.6)36 (81.8)
Table 5 Analyses of different combinations of markers in gallbladder cancer diagnosis
Group
n
1 marker
2 markers
3 markers
4 markers
Benign GB disease12029 (24.2)6 (5.0)1 (0.8)0
GBC8014 (17.5)27 (33.7)25 (31.3)3 (3.8)
Positive likelihood rate0.5%4.5%25%100%
Table 6 Performance of markers for predicting gallbladder cancer
Variable
Sensitivity, %
Specificity, %
PPV, %
NPV, %
AUC (95%CI); P value
CA 19-9 (cutoff: 39.21 by ROC) 71.390.082.682.40.849 (0.791-0.907); < 0.001
CA 125 (cutoff: 36.00 by ROC)38.893.379.569.60.758 (0.686-0.831); < 0.001
CEA (cutoff: 10.36 by ROC)12.592.552.661.30.623 (0.542-0.703); 0.003
CA 242 (cutoff: 15.10 by ROC)86.390.085.290.80.925 (0.881-0.969); < 0.001
Table 7 Performance of combination of markers for predicting gallbladder cancer
Variable
Sensitivity, %
Specificity, %
PPV, %
NPV, %
Combination of any 2 markers63.595.084.685.7
Combination of markers CA 19-9 and CA 242, n = 2683.293.396.283.5
Combination of ≥ 3 markers35.0100.0100.069.8
Table 8 Correlations between carbohydrate antigen 19-9, carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 125, and carbohydrate antigen 242 expression and lymph node metastasis
Marker level
No LNM, n = 36
LNM, n = 44
P value
CA 19-9 in U/mL110.5 (54.2- 176.7)221.8 (14.9-753.0)< 0.05
CEA in µg/L3.2 (1.4-4.0)3.37 (1.9-6.2)> 0.05
CA 125 in U/mL23.0 (21.5-47.3)33.0 (7.4-64.2)> 0.05
CA 242 in U/mL48.5 (36.1-84.7)92.0 (25.8-112.0)< 0.05
Table 9 Cox proportional hazards model for multivariate regression analysis
Prognostic factor
Parameter estimate
Wald χ2
P value
Hazard ratio
95% CI
CA 19-900.1520.69710.999-1.001
CEA-0.1371.4150.2340.8720.696-1.093
CA 1250.0010.2110.4641.0010.995-1.008
CA 2420.01710.4220.0011.0171.007-1.027
LNM -2.066.0010.0140.1270.024-0.662
Age-0.052.8140.0930.9510.897-1.009
Sex-0.2640.0980.7550.7680.146-4.027
BMI0.0380.4780.4891.0380.933-1.155
GB wall thickness-0.0762.0960.1480.9270.837-1.027
Stone size -0.3182.1140.1460.7280.474-1.117