The role of metabolic syndrome and related clinical variables in determining CEA levels

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate how metabolic syndrome (MetS) and related clinical variables correlate with high levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Material and Methods: Variables related to MetS as well as the serum CEA levels of 366 subjects were assayed. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the associations between various clinical variables and high CEA levels, which were defined as values greater than the median (i.e., 1.4 ng/mL). Results: MetS, as an entity, and diabetes were more prevalent in subjects with high CEA levels (for MetS: 64.2% in subjects with CEA ≥ 1.4 vs. 51.1% in subjects with CEA <1.4 ng/mL, p < 0.05; for diabetes: 72.6% vs. 59.1% respectively, p < 0.05). Waist circumference, triglycerides, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), homeostasis-model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), and HbA_1c as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressures were directly associated with CEA levels, after adjusting for age and sex (p < 0.05). Subjects with a greater number of MetS components tended to have high CEA levels. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the association of waist circumference and FPG with CEA is independent of other MetS components, age and sex. Conclusions: MetS and related clinical variables contribute to CEA values. Thus, the reference interval of CEA may differ according to the clinical status of the subjects.