Carcinoembryonic antigen

As carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA ) is a family of related glycoproteins of the immunoglobulin superfamily is called.

History

The carcinoembryonic antigen was first identified in 1965 by Phil Gold and Samuel O. Freedman in cell extracts from colorectal carcinomas.

Genetics

The human carcinoembryonic gene family can be divided into three subgroups of total 29 genes or pseudogenes by their nucleotide sequence: the CEA subgroup with 12 members, the PSG subgroup of 11 members and a third subgroup with 6 members.

Tumor markers

CEA is a tumor marker used for a number of malignant tumors, in particular for colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and adenocarcinoma of the lung. Cells that form the CEA glycoprotein build this into their cell membrane and enter it from the blood. The marker is thereby detectable, both on cells and in body fluids. This tumor marker is due to its low specificity only sometimes as early detection markers, but he has a big role in tumor follow-up. The serum concentration of the tumor marker is at least partially correlated with total tumor mass. Benign diseases, often accompanied by an increase in CEA, are inflammation of the liver, pancreas, bowel (ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis ), stomach and lung and especially alcohol-related liver cirrhosis. False-positive values ​​are found in smokers. With long-term elevated levels, however, the probability is high that a malignant tumor is responsible.