[Concentration of carcinoembryonic antigen in the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with lung cancer].

Serum and BAL CEA levels were determined in stage I (WHO scale) lung cancer patients. The immuno-enzyme assay for the quantitative determination of CEA according to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) principle was used. Eight smokers without symptoms of respiratory disease served as a control group. The CEA levels were also determined in 48 patients with chronic bronchitis to evaluate the influence the role of the inflammatory processes of the respiratory tract in producing CAE. All determined serum, and BAL fluid CEA levels were related to total protein and albumin for comparison of both media. It was shown that the BAL fluid CEA levels in lung cancer patients exceeded 10-fold the control levels, and twice fold the levels found in chronic bronchitis. It must be emphasized that serum levels were within normal limits in all analysed groups. The concentration of CEA expressed as ratio to total protein and albumin supported a diagnostic usefulness of CEA in BAL and indicated a slight modification of it by inflammatory process.