CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN IN LIVER DISEASES: Elevated CEA levels and liver diseases with alcohol abuse

The measurement of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) by radioimmunoassay was carried out in various liver diseases, particularly associated with alcohol abuse (ethanol 150ml/day). On one hand, in 29 patients with liver diseases with alcohol abuse, 13 cases (45%) showed a positive CEA titer in sera (20ng/ml), on the other hand, in 74 patients with liver diseases without alcohol abuse, only 11 cases (15%) showed a positive CEA titer. It is obvious that in liver diseases with alcohol abuse may significantly cause the elevation of serum CEA level. Using the antiserum originally prepared at our laboratory, we studied the localization of CEA in biopsied liver specimens by immuno-peroxidase method (PAP). This means that hyperproduction of CEA in reconstructed liver cells of liver diseases with alcohol abuse may cause the high percentage of positive CEA in liver diseases with alcohol abuse. Then, the elvation of CEA level in liver diseases caused by the decreased CEA catabolism is one of the mechanisms of high percentage of positive CEA in liver diseases with alcohol abuse. We suppose that some parts of the liver cell function disturbed by alcohol abuse may be overlaped with the liver function of CEA catabolism.