Relationships of hepatic and pancreatic biomarkers with the cholestatic syndrome and tumor stage in pancreatic cancer

Abstract

We analyzed relationships of hepatic and pancreatic biomarkers with the cholestatic syndrome and tumor stage in exocrine pancreatic cancer (N = 183). Information on laboratory tests and on signs and symptoms was obtained from medical records and patient interviews. Bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase were lower in tumor stage IV. The association was due to the relationship between cholestatic syndrome and earlier presentation of patients. There was no association between hepatic biomarkers and stage when adjusting by cholestatic syndrome. Relationships of hepatic and pancreatic biomarkers with pancreatic symptoms and tumor stage must be controlled in “-omics” and other studies using biomarkers.

Keywords::

• [MeSH terms]: pancreatic neoplasms
• cholestatic syndrome
• weight loss
• total bilirubin
• γ-glutamyltransferase
• diabetes mellitus
• epidemiology
• [Non-MeSH terms]: semiology
• symptoms
• regression coefficient
• glycemia
• AST
• blood draw
• jaundice
• hypocholia
• choluria

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge scientific and technical assistance provided by Marta Crous-Bou, Alejandra Corcuera, Elisa Puigdomènech, Paloma Quesada, Sílvia Geeraerd, Silvia Santaularia, and Yolanda Rovira.

Declaration of interest

Supported by research grants from Generalitat de Catalunya (CIRIT SGR 0241, SGR 0078); ‘Red temática de investigación cooperativa de centros en Cáncer’ (C03/10), ‘Red temática de investigación cooperativa de centros en Epidemiología y salud pública’(C03/09), CIBER de Epidemiología, and CIBER de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Government of Spain; and Department of Universities and Research, Government of Catalonia (SGR200500646). The study sponsors and funding organizations played no role and had no involvement in the design of study, choice of enrolled patients, or in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; they also had no role and no involvement in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. The authors report no declarations of interest.