The effect of visceral fat on the hemodilution effect of serum carcinoembryonic antigen in Korean population

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 14; no. 12; p. e0225649
• Main Authors: Jung, Youn-Joon, Han, Seung-Su
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 02.12.2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alanine; Alanine transaminase; Analysis; Antigens; Aspartate; Aspartate aminotransferase; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomarkers; Body fat; Body mass; Body Mass Index; Body size; Carcinoembryonic antigen; Carcinoembryonic Antigen - blood; Chi square analysis; Chi-square test; Child; Colorectal cancer; Correlation; Correlation analysis; Creatinine; Early Detection of Cancer - methods; Female; Females; Gynecology; Health; Health promotion; Humans; Intra-Abdominal Fat - physiology; Lean body mass; Male; Males; Mass Screening - methods; Medical diagnosis; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Medical screening; Medicine and Health Sciences; Men; Metabolic syndrome; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - blood; Neoplasms - diagnosis; Neoplasms - physiopathology; Obesity; Obstetrics; Physical fitness; Physiology; Plasma; Plasma Volume - physiology; Post-menopause; Postmenopausal women; Regression analysis; Republic of Korea; Retrospective Studies; Sex Factors; Statistical analysis; Statistical tests; Waist Circumference - physiology; Women; Womens health; Young Adult; Republic of Korea; South Korea
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225649

To investigate the relationship between visceral fat and the hemodilution effect of carcinoembryonic antigen in both sexes. A total of 15,340 females and 20,024 males who visited the health promotion center at Chung-Ang University Hospital from 2011 to 2014 were retrospectively collected. Correlation analysis and chi-square test for linear by linear association were used to determine the correlation between carcinoembryonic antigen concentration, carcinoembryonic antigen mass and visceral fat. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to calculate the mean of carcinoembryonic antigen concentration and the mean of carcinoembryonic antigen mass, reflecting age, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatinine, body fat percentage, body mass index, lean body mass and waist circumference as confounding variables. Higher body mass index was related with lower carcinoembryonic antigen concentration in men (r = -0.019, P = 0.019), but higher carcinoembryonic antigen concentration in women (r = 0.084, P<0.001). Average of waist circumference for male is greater than that of female (P<0.01). Average of body fat percentage for male is lesser than that of female (P<0.01). Male lean body mass mean is larger than that of women (P<0.01). Increased waist circumference was significantly associated with higher carcinoembryonic antigen mass in both female and male (P<0.001 for trend). Postmenopausal women might be more likely to have increased carcinoembryonic antigen mass and carcinoembryonic antigen concentration (P<0.001 for trend). This study suggests that visceral fat may increase total amount of CEA in the body. Visceral fat should be taken into account when evaluating serum CEA levels in both sexes.