Impact of hemodialysis and uremia on serum levels of tumor markers

Abstract

Objective: The aim was to study the possible impact of uremia and hemodialysis on tumor markers including carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9, neuron-specific enolase, CA242, ferritin, β-human chorionic gonadotropin, alpha 1-fetoprotein, human growth hormone, CA153, CA125, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and free PSA (fPSA). Materials and Methods: Under a controlled study design, we assigned 143 uremia patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis into hemodialysis group, 143 uremia patients (chronic kidney disease phase 5) who did not receive hemodialysis into nonhemodialysis group, and 429 healthy people into the control group. Serum levels of tumor markers were determined using protein chip and were compared among groups. Patients in hemodialysis group were further divided into two subgroups according to the duration of hemodialysis: Group A (maintenance hemodialysis was over 3 mo), Group B (maintenance hemodialysis was Results: Ferritin levels were 22.1% and 5.8% in hemodialysis and nonhemodialysis groups, respectively, with statistically significance ( P P > 0.05). In hemodialysis group, 12.23% of patients were found with higher serum levels of CA125 than normal, 9.75% with higher levels of PSA than normal, and 11.3% with higher levels of fPSA than normal. In nonhemodialysis group, 14.91% of patients were found with higher levels of CA125 than normal, 8.76% with higher levels of PSA than normal, and 10.8% with higher levels of fPSA than normal. In the control group, patients with higher levels of the above markers accounted for Conclusion: Ferritin, CA19-9 and CA125 are elevated to various degrees in patients with uremia who are receiving hemodialysis or do not receive hemodialysis. Hemodialysis is not able to eliminate tumor markers.