Plasma carcinoembryonic antigen and acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas
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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Mimicking and Manipulating Pancreatic Acinar-to-Ductal Metaplasia in 3-dimensional Cell Culture
Published on: February 11, 2019
Abstract:
Seventeen patients with histologically proven pancreatic cancers were studied in order to clarify the relationship of histologic types to plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) values. Two cases with marked elevation of plasma CEA values having 6100 ng/ml and 2500 ng/ml, respectively, disclosed histologically acinar cell carcinoma and mixed acinar and ductal cell carcinoma, respectively. Despite of massive hepatic metastases, the other 15 cases with ductal cell carcinoma, including 3 cases with cystadenocarcinoma, adenoacanthoma, and undifferentiated pancreatic cancer, respectively, showed normal or very modest elevation of plasma CEA values. No correlation was obtained between plasma CEA values and several biochemical tests. Two patients with marked elevation of plasma CEA value revealed strong staining in the cancerous areas of the pancreas by using a peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining technique. These findings suggest that acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas may contribute to increase the circulating plasma CEA value.
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