Correlation of CA 19-9 with HbA1c in prediabetic and diabetic groups

Introduction and Aim: Carbohydrate antigen19-9 (CA 19-9) is a marker of pancreatic cancer. In diabetics, pancreatic beta cell dysfunction can lead to elevated serum CA19-9 level. This study was designed for estimation of CA19-9 in diabetes and its correlation with glucose levels and glycosylated hemoglobin. Materials and Methods: The includes diabetic, pre diabetic with no history of malignancies and healthy normal subjects (n=50 each). Ca19-9 was estimated using ELISA, HbA1c by D10-Biorad variant turbo and the Lipid profile in Roche COBAs 6000 auto analyzer. Statistical analysis was done by Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version17 (SPSS 17). P <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Serum CA19-9 level was high in diabetics compared to normal, (p=0.38) however it was decreased in pre diabetic group (P=0.06). There was significant difference in comparison of CA19-9 levels between pre diabetic and diabetics(p=0.001). A significant increase in triglycerides was observed both in diabetics (p<0.01) and pre-diabetics(p=0.04). There was a significant positive correlation of CA19-9 with TC/HDL (p=0.022) and non-HDL(p) in control group. Conclusion: CA19-9 levels can be influenced by glycemic status, hence assessment of pancreatic cancer in diabetic patients must be interpreted carefully in consideration with CA19-9 levels. CA19-9 level was decreased in prediabetics when compared to normal and diabetics. This is a novel finding, the cause for which must ascertained, and this will open further avenues for research.